Rivals
by Avelyn Lauren
Summary: Nancy has two men in love with her. To top it off she has a mystery to solve before something happens....
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own them.I justhave fun writing them. Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster do.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Come on, Nan we have the pictures from the wedding!" Bess was plopping down on the couch.  
  
"I'm coming Bess." She walked out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel. It had been two weeks since Bess had married. She had been on her honey moon until just a couple of days ago.  
  
"How was the cruise?" She sat down on the couch beside her friend who then proceeded to tell her everything that had happened on the cruise.  
  
"So tell me what is going on between you, Frank and Ned?" Bess finished as she completed telling her everything that had happened while there.  
  
Nancy sighed. "Bess there is nothing has happened." She paused, "Ned is in Washington right now and Frank is in Bayport visiting his father while he ahs the chance."  
  
"Nan I know that there is more to it than that. You have two guys head over heels in love with you." Bess was looking through the pictures that had been taken at the church. (You know the usual, family friends, bride and groom, etc.)  
  
"Hey Nancy what happened here?" Bess pointed at the picture that she was holding.  
  
Nancy couldn't believe that someone had gotten that picture. They were supposed to be paying attention to the bride not her. "Bess who was taking pictures?"  
  
"George's husband why?"  
  
"Nothing." Nancy said while she thought, 'I'm going to kill him.'  
  
"What happened Nan?" Bess had a huge grin on his face.  
  
-flashback-  
  
"Hey Nan. Having fun?" Frank asked from behind her.  
  
"Yeah lots." She was a little sad about something.  
  
"What's wrong?" He pulled her out into the hall where they could actually talk.  
  
"It's just that I'll miss her, IU hasn't had my place to myself like I will after she leaves."  
  
"You'll always have is. We're just a phone call away." He whispered just before he kissed her slowly.  
  
They broke off the kiss and Nancy was greeted by a piece of cake in her face. "Frank what was that for?"  
  
"That was for pushing me off the bed and scaring the living day lights out of me pulling fancy tricks while you were flying my plane." He was pulling away.  
  
"Oh no you don't." Nancy wiped her face with her hand trying to get some of the sweet icing off of her face. She wiped some of it on his face before pulling him toward her and kissing him.  
  
-end flashback-  
  
"Nan?" Bess finally got her friends attention.  
  
"Well Bess he was getting me back for a couple of things that I did to him." Nancy spoke to her friend.  
  
"Well how do you explain this one?"  
  
The picture was the one right after he had smeared cake all over her face. They were kissing. "Bess mind your own business and give me those pictures." Nancy tried to swipe them from her friend's hands.  
  
George walked in to see a shrieking Bess and a very red Nancy.  
  
Avery, George's daughter, thought that they were all playing a game.  
  
George could barely contain her laughter when she saw the scene. "George helps me!" She jumped off the couch away from her red headed friend.  
  
Goerge put down her daughter and took the pictures from Bess. "No wonder she wants these Bess." George was grinning.  
  
"George!" Nancy had about gotten the pictures when someone plucked the pictures from George's hands.  
  
"The pictures came out did they?" George's husband laughed.  
  
"I'm going to get your husband." She threatened her friend.  
  
"I'd like to see you try." George challenged.  
  
"I came up to see what was taking so long. We were supposed to go out to eat." He was getting very uncomfortable. He hated it when they got like this. Whether or not they were teasing each other they sure knew how to do it.  
  
At the dinner table Nancy received the onslaught of questions of what was going on. None of which she knew how to answer. "You guys mind talking about something else now. I don't know of you realize it but having two men in love with you isn't that easy. That was true and she couldn't just not think about need. It turned out that he had been working undercover for the network for four years now. She was over him and his boss, that was nothing new to her though. He had been helping her on cases since she was eighteen and she had told him what to do then. Frank was over her so that made him Ned's boss. There wouldn't be any getting around these two. She had to work with both of them.  
  
Nancy had been working for the Chicago police department for four years now. She was the top detective there and also had more field experience than most of the men that ran the place. She had begun in the last year to do more jobs for the government as time went on. The head detective absolutely hated that. He wanted her working on the cases that they were given. What he didn't realize though was that she was already over him. She just didn't Lord it over him. She wouldn't want to anyways.  
  
"Nancy are you going to be alright by yourself?" Bess asked when they dropped her off at the apartment.  
  
"Yeah, I'm a big girl Bess I can do this." She whispered.  
  
"Okay good night."  
  
-Ned-  
  
Need looked at his desk not wanting to even touch the paper work that lay there before him. He had received a raise and while technically worked the Network he worked for the FBI and CIA offices as well. He was doing things like supervising undercover operations, keeping the agents in line that came back from the assignments or even restless new agents that were raring to go.  
  
"You know this job might pay well but the hours are ridiculous. I used to think that Nancy had crazy hours when she would think of nothing but her case that she was working on." He muttered under his breath.  
  
"You know Nickerson that is why you have a secretary. So she can help you out with all that paperwork." Someone was standing in the doorway of one of the offices that he worked at.  
  
"I sent her her home at five. She wasn't feeling good." Ned answered tartly.  
  
"You need to go home as well."  
  
"I will. I just need to make a dentin this paperwork."  
  
"A dent in that?" The man raised his eyebrows. "Good luck." He left the room.  
  
-Frank-  
  
Frank was dodging bullets right and left. He wished he was in the training grounds and not in the field itself. "You can come out now Hardy." Where is your charming brother."  
  
"He's busy."  
  
"Well I guess you'll have to do." He raised his gun to Frank's face. - - - Okay guys I know that you were waiting for a sequel. It's just not in the particular time period that you wanted. There won't be a wedding for them in this story. Give me an honest review. 


	2. Hospitals

Frank was dodging bullets right and left. He wished he was in the training grounds and not in the field itself. "You can come out now Hardy. Where is your charming brother?"  
  
"He's busy."  
  
"Well I guess you'll have to do." He raised his gun to Frank's face. -  
  
jnp- Thank you for the review. What I meant by not in the time period that you want is that everyone is begging me to get them married and I can't yet. There are too many unsolved issues here. You'll have to wait to see what they are but maybe if you think back to the first one you can catch what some of them are.  
  
Lord Dreadnault  
  
Anonymous  
  
Mo- Don't worry everything will work out.  
  
Katie- Who says he didn't? Bess didn't say she had all of them.  
  
Disclaimer: As you know I don't own them. Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster own them to our great sorrow.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Joe heard the shot from outside of the building that he was casing. "FRANK!" The younger Hardy dashed into the building.  
  
Frank lay crumpled on the floor unconscious. "You..." he didn't finish the statement when he couldn't find who did it.  
  
The ambulance arrived then. Joe was pulled off of his brother and led to the vehicle. Frank was on the pulley looking so lifeless. Joe didn't know what to tell them. They weren't on a network case so they couldn't call in NEST. NEST was a doctor team that promised the best of care to each of its members.  
  
Joe was made to wait in the waiting room. He paced the floor for ten minutes before he decided to call Nan to tell her what was going on.  
  
He waited for the phone to stop ringing. "Nan?" He asked when the phone was picked up.  
  
"What's up Joe?" She asked.  
"Frank is in the hospital. He's been shot." Joe heard silence on the line.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"Frank has been shot." Joe told her again.  
  
"Where are you Joe?"  
  
"I'm at Baylor Memorial. Get here as fast as you can." He hung up the phone when the doctor came put to talk to him.  
  
"Your brother is strong but we don't know if he is going to make it." Doctor Helm informed the young man that was standing in front of him.  
  
"Did you get the bullet pulled out of him? Where exactly did it hit?" Joe asked.  
  
"Yes we did get the bullet out of him. It was located in the left lung a little above his heart. Your brother is a lucky man.  
  
Several hours later Nancy arrived with Bess in tow. "Is he alright Joe? Have they pulled the bullet?" She was thinking about forensics. A tired looking silver haired man came out about that time.  
  
Joe looked at Nancy before the doctor said, "You can go in and see him now."  
  
Nancy began walking to the doors. "Miss who are you?"  
  
"I'm his girlfriend." She answered.  
  
Joe followed her not knowing what to do. Joe looked at the strawberry redhead that was walking in front of him. He waited for Bess to catch up with him.  
  
"What happened Joe?"  
  
"Frank was shot on a case. We weren't working on anything that was top secret. He answered glumly.  
  
"Joe I want to help. I know that we can find who did this." Bess offered her services. She knew about the job they did.  
  
"Bess it's dangerous and you just got married. Your husband would kill us if something were to happen to you. Nancy would kill me if I told you yes." He looked at their friend that had just entered a room where he assumed Frank was.  
  
"You guys are way too protective of me and George. Don't you think that we know how dangerous this job is!" She kept her voice down.  
  
"You used to complain that it was too much work to this at times. Other times you were flirting with some guy." Joe commented outside the door.  
  
"You spend half of your time flirting with a different girl for each case anyways so you have no room to talk. Besides I have been doing a little detective work of my own." She muttered under her breath.  
  
At that Joe looked inside to see Nancy talking to Frank even though Frank wouldn't be talking back to her so she wouldn't know that Bess and Joe hadn't entered the room yet. He pulled Bess to another wing of the hall that was relatively quiet. "You have been doing detective work on your own. You know how dangerous that is!" He reprimanded her.  
  
"I know but when Nancy wouldn't allow me to help anymore after I was engaged I became bored because I couldn't find anything with a challenge." Bess answered. "One day a mystery found me when I was at work and I told them that I could look into it. I chaven't told Nancy about it yet." She looked down to the floor suddenly becoming very interested in the white tiles. After that the people that I worked with would ask me to investigate little things for them. I haven't' done anything major."  
  
Joe listened to her without interrupting. "It's obvious that you haven't told Nan yet because she wouldn't have allowed you too come today." He had seen Nancy when they were talking about the last time that Bess and George had been allowed to help her in a case. She had been bound and determined to keep her friends safe. If that meant that they weren't' allowed to help her out then that was it.  
  
"I know. Let's go see your brother and please don't' tell her." Bess begged.  
  
"I won't but you're going to have to tell her sometime soon." Joe promised.  
  
"Yeah." She agreed and led the way to the room that they needed to be in.  
  
Nancy had lain her head down on the bed and fallen asleep. Joe looked at his watch. "She must not have gotten any sleep."  
  
"Nope." She drove all the way over here as fast as she could without being ticketed by the police. Even though she is the police." Bess commented.  
  
'You don't know the half of it Bess.' Joe thought. He rested his hand on his brother's arm muttering quietly about what was going on. "Bess. You can help as long as she doesn't say anything." He knew that she would help whether Nancy let her or not. It would be better if she did allow her to help.  
  
"I will be very happy to." She nodded her head.  
  
The nurse walked into the room only to look absolutely horrified at the three people in the room. "What are you three doing in here? Mr. Hardy is supposed to be resting. The nurse kept her voice low.  
  
Joe was about to say something when Bess pulled her out of the room. "That is his wife and his brother in there and they are both extremely worried about him. He was shot and it isn't that east to have someone shot that you know and love. Van you let them stay in there for another hour. I don't' think that he is going to bed waking anytime soon. I don't believe that they will disturb him." She reasoned.  
  
The woman that was standing in front of her hung her head. "You have thirty minutes. I want all of you out of there in that time." The nurse walked away.  
  
"I bought us thirty minutes Joe. We may need to wake her up and get her to a bed to sleep." That was unnecessary though because Nancy was waking up.  
  
The thirty minutes passed with the nurse returning. She looked like she meant business this time. Bess didn't try to reason with her. She had gotten some extra time for her friends. She had a feeling that they were really going to need her help.  
  
Nancy strode off to talk to the doctor. She was still tired but she had work to do now.  
  
-Nancy-  
  
Nancy headed toward the doctor's office. She was going to get that bullet. She needed to get it to forensics to get it checked. "Doctor?" She knocked on the door. He was bending over his work. "Dr. Helm?" She tried again to get his attention.  
  
"Yes Miss Drew." He answered.  
  
"I was wondering if it would be possible for me to get that bullet so I could get it analyzed. She didn't say that she had an analyzing kit with her. However she probably wouldn't use it due to the fact that the police had a much better forensics lab.  
  
"I can't release that to you." He responded to her request.  
  
She pulled out her detective badge. "Yes you can." She placed her wallet on his paper work.  
  
He sighed in resignation. He led her out of the room to the room where they kept all the extra things that cops liked to get a hold of for their investigations. (I don't know what they are called or even if they have them in a hospital but it would almost stand to reason that they would have this information.) "You'll have to sign a release form for this." He handed her the requested item.  
  
"I know. Just show me where the release form is." This was nothing new to her. She was used to this by now. Between the network and the department she managed to find ways to get around.  
  
Thanking the doctor she went to the waiting room where she found Fenton Hardy waiting on them. "How you holding up Nancy?"  
  
"I'm holding." - - - - Hey guys sorry that I'm late in getting out the next chapter. I've been a little busy getting ready to cook Thanksgiving dinner and working on my other stories that I'm writing as well. Give me a good and honest review! Happy Thanksgiving! 


	3. Forensics

"You spend half of your time flirting with a different girl for each case anyways so you have no room to talk. Besides I have been doing a little detective work of my own." She muttered under her breath.  
  
-  
  
"I was wondering if it would be possible for me to get that bullet so I could get it analyzed. She didn't say that she had an analyzing kit with her. However she probably wouldn't use it due to the fact that the police had a much better forensics lab.  
  
-  
  
Thanking the doctor she went to the waiting room where she found Fenton Hardy waiting on them. "How you holding up Nancy?"  
  
"I'm holding." -  
  
Katie-I think that after all of the mysteries that she has helped solved anything ordinary would be pretty boring; especially with no challenge. I sure hope her new husband can find a few challenges for her.  
  
Damsel of distress-Please don't cry I try to update about once a week.  
  
Fantasy Girl  
  
Catherinewells  
  
I had to do the previous chapter a little bit different anyways. There were different things that happened there that are crucial to whatever will happen in the chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I believe that it is Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster. Too bad they sure are a lot of fun to write!  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Nancy and Bess were driving to the police station to get the bullet analyzed. Nancy knew that it looked like a .44 magnum but then again she could be wrong. She didn't want to be wrong about this. Joe sat in the backseat if the car with his arms crossed across his chest.  
  
"Joe you have to tell me what you were working on." Nancy ordered from the front seat.  
  
Joe looked down at his hands. "We were looking into something for Chet." He answered.  
  
"I thought that Chet was teaching chemistry in the local high school." Nancy commented.  
  
"From what I understand he is. We were supposed to be on vacation, just as you were Nan. We weren't looking for work." Joe commented.  
  
"We never are looking for work but look at us. Would we really have any kind o0f vacation without a mystery to get solved?" She questioned.  
  
Joe looked at the pretty officer before him. 'Where did she come from? As many times as I have been in here I have never seen her in my life.'  
  
Nancy shook her head. She had seen the look that he gave the receptionist at the front desk. It was momentary but it was there. "I'm from Chicago P.D. and I need to get the forensics lab."  
  
The receptionist looked at Nancy rather dubiously when she heard that. Nancy knew that she looked too young to be on the police force so when she had to do something she always had her wallet handy. The woman called the chief just as soon as Nancy provided her police badge.  
  
The chief came out to see who wanted to see him. "Joe Hardy what are you doing here without your brother? Who are these two lovely young ladies with you? Do you plan on showing off for them? Where is the Chicago P.D.?"  
  
Nancy rolled her eyes. He greeted Joe like old friends. Nancy stepped forward. "My name is Detective Nancy Drew with Chicago P.D. I need to use your forensics lab so that I can examine this bullet." She held up the bag to show what she wanted done.  
  
The chief looked surprised at her. "Okay." He nodded and led them out of t he room. "So tell me Detective Drew how did you become a detective at such a young age? You don't look a day over 20."  
  
"I'm 25 and I have been solving mysteries since I was about 16 for my father." She responded in business like tone.  
  
"That would mean that your father is..." he thought for a minute, "Carson Drew the defense lawyer?" He asked surprised.  
  
"Yes." She answered.  
  
"Do you know how to use the forensics lab?"  
  
Nancy was becoming irritated with the man but didn't comment on that. "Yes. I even have a forensic set I take with me in case I don't have a police station near by so that I can get some work done." (I don't know if they have something like that do just bear with me.)  
  
"Okay then I'll leave you to do your job."  
  
He left them in the lab to do their work while he went to the phone to call Chicago P.D. "Chief I have a young woman here that claims to work for your department. I was wondering if you could verify that for me."  
  
"Do you know her identification number?"  
  
"No I don't know the number."  
  
"What else do you know about her?"  
  
"Detective Drew. She has strawberry blond hair and blue eyes. She mentioned something about Carson Drew being her father." The Bayport police chief answered.  
  
"I can't believe that you never heard of her. She's a world renowned detective. She's put away international criminals that wouldn't mind having her dead." The man on the other line smiled. He was proud to have her on his team.  
  
The chief hung up the phone not believing what he had heard. She was a top detective. Now he wondered if the woman was the head detective. This should be interesting to see what she could do. She obviously was prepared about anything that came her way. She should be though because she was the daughter of one of the greatest defense lawyers of this time. "Well I better go check on her." He also wondered about the other girl that was with her. Who was she and what was a civilian working with a detective?  
  
Nancy was talking to the technicians about something. The chief didn't know what to think when he looked at him and the technician commented that the woman was a rather interesting woman. She knew more than most of his men did. The older man grunted his acknowledgement. How could this woman know more than his men?  
  
Nancy confirmed her suspicions about the gun after a few more minutes. "I'll talk to you later chief there is some more things I need to do now." She got the distinct feeling that she wasn't like by the chief. Nancy bristled at that. Some men still hadn't learned that women could do things just as well as men. Some men never would learn that.  
  
"Where to?" Nancy asked Joe getting in the car.  
  
"My house. WE have to finish discussing this case. We haven't been able to talk about it yet." Joe reiterated.  
  
Joe I think that you said the same thing two times in a row." Bess giggled.  
  
"Oh I did." Joe put on a blank look like he didn't know. "I did didn't I." He looked at Nancy to his side view. At least she smiled.  
  
"Bess did you call your husband and tell him that you're going to be in Bayport for a while?" Nancy asked the newly wed.  
  
"I did. He said that he was going to miss me to no end." Bess then turned red probably at the thought of what else it was that he said to her.  
  
"Did he say anything else?" Nancy pried.  
  
"Uh. no." Bess shook her head. Nancy laughed.  
  
"You know Bess you're a terrible liar. You could just say that it was for your ears only." Nan commented.  
  
"Come on Nan I'm sure that Frank has said things that were meant for yours and yours alone." Bess thought out loud.  
  
"No he hasn't Bess. Besides anything between Frank and me is none of your business."  
  
"It sure is the camera's business." Bess held a gleam in her eyes that worried Nancy.  
  
Joe looked confused at the ladies. "What do you mean the camera's business? Is there something going on that I don't know about?"  
  
"No." Nancy answered the inquiry.  
  
"Yes there is. Nancy and Frank kissed at the wedding." Bess giggled at her friend's slightly reddened cheeks.  
  
"Do you have proof?" Joe asked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.  
  
Bess provided the pictures that Nancy had seen earlier. Joe looked at what looked like more than two. 'Maybe they are just the wedding pictures.' She shook her when Joe got to the pictures that he had asked her about.  
  
"Nancy, why didn't either of you say that you were together?" Joe inquired when he finished looking at the pictures.  
  
"We don't know what is there Joe." Nancy answered irritated at Bess for doing that to her. She hated to be put on the spot like that.  
  
"That lip lock you two are in doesn't say that." Joe commented nonchalantly.  
  
Nancy was saddened by that last comment but she didn't know what else to say to him about it. They were both unsure of what to do with what was going on. Now he was in the hospital not able to move because he had been shot. When he was out she would sure find out what it was that they had.  
  
Bess stopped Joe from saying anything else when she saw the next thing that Nancy did. She looked out her mirror twice to see something. "Nan are we being followed?"  
  
"I think we are but I want to be quite certain." She went into the next exit in what she hoped would be a lot of complicated turns and some traffic. There was neither on the road that they were on. "Joe can you get us to a busy street from here? This road is as straight as they come." Nancy asked.  
  
Joe gave her the required directions knowing for sure that they were being followed. He kept hearing screeching wheels in the back as sped up and slowed down almost like they wanted to run them off the road. - - - Okay guys you know the drill. Give me a good and honest review! I know that this chapter is kind of lame but I got a little fun out of it anyways. 


	4. Chase

Joe gave her the required directions knowing for sure that they were being followed. He kept hearing screeching wheels in the back as sped up and slowed down almost like they wanted to run them off the road. - Dizzy Izzy- I'm really sorry. You have a point. I guess I forgot my health classes. Let's just say that frank was shot just above the heart. That way I can't go wrong.  
  
Out of sight out of mind-I'll keep that in mind. I'm working on the punctuations. I've been writing since I was a little girl but sometimes I have to work at things. That's just one of them.  
  
Mo-thanks for the support. It's much appreciated!  
  
Damsel in Distress- I like your name. It's very original. I hope that you are feeling better!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them! I believe that Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster do. They sure are fun to write!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"Why can't we get a two way road when we need one?" Nancy muttered under her breath.  
  
"Nan, they're right on us." Joe looked behind them.  
  
"I know Joe. Is there a hill on the other side of this one?" She questioned.  
  
"I don't know. I haven't been in this road for a long time."  
  
"Hold on." Nancy ordered as she sped up the car to provide enough momentum to send the car flying through the air. (I don't know if that is actually possible so don't get mad at me if it isn't.) Nancy was holding her breath until they felt the car thud on solid ground.  
  
Joe looked behind him. "They appear to be having trouble going up the second hill."  
  
"I'm not taking chances Joe. Where to next?" Joe was sweating as he tried to think of some directions off of the road that they were on.  
  
"Try going to the right." He directed. Nancy had just made the turn when the car stopped. Bess was in the front seat ready to panic. She had been on cases before with Nancy but they usually had better luck than this one.  
  
"Do you have a gun with you Joe?" She looked out the window. "Bess get down." She ordered.  
  
"Yeah." He answered.  
  
"We're going to shoot out the tires." Nancy informed him.  
  
They hid behind the doors of the car. The tires were shot and deflated in the oncoming car before it came to a stop.  
  
Joe didn't bother to look behind him. He knew that there were two maniacs coming after the three of them. 'What has Chet gotten us into?' he thought to himself.  
  
"Guys look over there." Joe glanced in the direction that she was pointing.  
  
"We might be able to lose them or better yet follow them so we can see what is going on." Bess commented before Joe could say anything.  
  
"My thoughts exactly." Joe agreed.  
  
The trio disappeared into the trees. Bess hid behind a tree waiting for someone to come their way. Nancy was up in the tree ready to drop out on him and Joe was behind another tree. The two men that showed up a few minutes later were ambushed just as they entered the area that the three were in. Both of them were out of shape which made the trio's job easier.  
  
Nancy dropped on one of them knocking him down to the ground. Joe tapped on the other man's shoulder. He didn't see Bess come up from behind him with a branch that could have been a club.  
  
"Does anyone have a cell on them?" Bess groaned looking at her dirty clothes.  
  
"Sorry Bess. My phone is in the car. I could have sworn that I filled up on gas." Nancy was thinking about what she did last night. "I can't believe that I've been here for a few hours and we have already been on a car chase and the police station." Nancy shook her head.  
  
Joe had already made the call for backup. Joe began hefting one of the men to put him against the tree. "Bess help me with this one."  
  
The cops arrived about five minutes later. "That was fast." Joe looked at the officers surprised.  
  
"We were already following you guys. At the speed you were going there was going to be a wreck. Who are these two?" He looked pointedly at the knocked out men.  
  
"We don't know. We want to do an interrogation on them as soon as we get them to the station." Nancy informed them.  
  
"Ma'am you can't do that. Only a police officer is allowed in the interrogation room."  
  
"She works on the Chicago P.D." Bess was irritated at the men. "Can you get these men in handcuffs? Ours are in the car."  
  
"Who are you?" It was becoming very apparent to Nancy that the chief wasn't' the only one that thought women didn't belong in the police station.  
  
"She's one of my partners and if you don't do what she asks then you will have to deal with me." She replied coldly to the man. "I don't think that these vines will hold them at bay for very long do you?" She made her point.  
  
"No Officer."  
  
"It's detective." She warned at the man as she walked by.  
  
They arrived back to the police station a little while later. Nancy's car had been tampered with. When they pushed the car a little back they found that it was leaking gas. They had filled it up but they would have to get it fixed when they got to the destination.  
  
Joe had called Chet because he was becoming very interested in this case. His brother being shot to the fact that Nancy's car had been given a leak was a bit much to believe on a simple chemistry case.  
  
Chet reached the police station about thirty minutes after them. Nancy and Joe were still in interrogation room while Bess had to sit out in the waiting area. "Bess it's been awhile. What have you been up to?" He was always friendly towards all of them.  
  
"I've been getting married. You?" She returned.  
  
"Working. I've been teaching chem. at the high school. You know some of those kids are actually pretty smart." He laughed at the thought as he remembered his high school days with the Hardy's.  
  
Bess cringed, "You know that Frank has been shot right?" She asked bluntly.  
  
He stopped laughing when he heard that. "He's been shot while looking into my case." He sat down in shock.  
  
"Chet what is going on? Nancy and I have yet to be told." Bess's voice was quiet. She had wanted to get his attention. She had definitely done that.  
  
"Well I received a note the other day saying that one of my extra science experiments had been taken. I've been working on this one for about two years trying to get it to work. I've finally figured out the formulation of the chemicals and was getting ready to submit it to the CAC (chemistry alignment center)."  
  
"What was the substance that you were supposed to break down?" Bess inquisitioned.  
  
Chet shook his head. "Why am I telling you all of this? You're not a detective." He questioned himself.  
  
"I do some detective work on the side that Nancy doesn't know about yet. You can't tell her. Will you answer my question?" She tried again.  
  
"Xenophonic lyglceridis phelia." He answered. (I just made it up. I don't think that there is such thing but then again I am not a chem. major.)  
  
"What does this stuff do?" Bess kept on. She had never heard of it but that didn't mean that it didn't exist.  
  
"It ..."  
  
Bess's phone interrupted him. "Just a minute. That is my husband."  
  
-  
-  
-  
-  
  
Thank you guys for all of your support. You know the drill. Give me a good and honest report.  
  
I have two questions before I go.  
  
Anyone who could tell me about Chet would be greatly appreciated. I haven't' read half as much on the hardy Boys as I have Nancy Drew by a long shot. I am looking for someone who would be willing to help me edit my stories. 


	5. Investigating begins

"Well I received a note the other day saying that one of my extra science experiments had been taken. I've been working on this one for about two years trying to get it to work. I've finally figured out the formulation of the chemicals and was getting ready to submit it to the CAC (chemistry alignment center)."  
  
"What was the substance that you were supposed to break down?" Bess inquisitioned.  
  
Chet shook his head. "Why am I telling you all of this? You're not a detective." He questioned himself.  
  
"I do some detective work on the side that Nancy doesn't know about yet. You can't tell her. Will you answer my question?" She tried again.  
  
"Xenophonic lyglceridis phelia." He answered. (I just made it up. I don't think that there is such thing but then again I am not a chem. major.)  
  
"What does this stuff do?" Bess kept on. She had never heard of it but that didn't mean that it didn't exist.  
  
"It ..."  
  
Bess's phone interrupted him. "Just a minute. That is my husband."  
  
Erincamille- Thank you for the review. The information is greatly appreciated about Chet I wouldn't mind some more though.  
  
Vivian 1- I know that it needs more suspense. I was just getting the story established. Don't worry there should be more suspense as well as the triangle beginning here. I was planning on it happening in this chapter anyways.  
  
Katie- I know what you mean. Don't worry they will learn to respect her by the end of the story.  
  
Damsel-of-Distress- I hope that you enjoyed your vacation. Yes I know that it sounds like some weird food that you might eat but after I get a good explanation as to what it is none of us will want to have anything to do with it. (I still haven't quite figured out what to do with it! I guess we'll find out in this chapter won't we!)  
  
Catherine Wells 2371- I have to thank you for all of your support as well and request the same thing that I requested with Erincamille. Will you please help me with his character? I know that he will be used quite a bit in this story. I want to get his character right.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
It was strange. Even though she was at the police station talking to the people that had chased her and her friends down she still felt connected to him. "Frank you have to come to." Nancy whispered. She didn't know quite what to do. Her best friend was in the hospital. She had never felt so helpless. "I promise that I will find the people who did this to you." She vowed.  
  
Chet Morton was in the waiting with Bess who was hanging up her phone. "Your husband?" Nancy questioned before she sat down.  
  
"Yeah." Bess nodded.  
  
"Chet it's been awhile." Nancy greeted before she went on. "I haven't had the chance to talk to Joe. Can you please tell me what is going on?"  
  
"Well I've been working on a project at the CAC, that is the Chemical Alignment Center. There is a chemical called Xenophonic lyglyceridis phelia. It is a very deadly chemical that is we don't get the separate chemicals separated would mean that the people who have it could destroy us and everyone else along with it. Including them. It has to be kept at freezing cold temperatures to keep from being activated." Chet paused.  
  
"What does it do? I've never heard of it." Bess asked.  
  
"Well it eats through anything that it touches. If were to touch this floor it would be gone in a matter of minutes even seconds perhaps. Skin contact will kill you." Chet didn't feel the need to go in to detail on that comment.  
  
"Have you received any notes or anything of that sort from whoever stole the chemical?" Nancy kept the inquiries coming.  
  
"Yes." Chet nodded. "Joe has the note."  
  
"What about the surveillance tapes?" Nancy thought about as she went through everything that she was being told.  
  
"That was the funny thing. The police couldn't get in and the brothers were able to get in by doing the same thing. They showed a badge." Chet shook his head.  
  
"Did Frank and Joe take the tapes anywhere?" Nancy was ready to do something other than question people now.  
  
"They did but I don't know where they took them." Chet answered.  
  
"Thank you Chet." Nancy walked toward Joe who had just left one of the interrogation rooms.  
  
Joe watched her come toward him with sadness. If something were to happen to Frank she would lose just as much as his family. "Hey Nancy did you find anything?"  
  
She nodded her head but wouldn't answer. "Joe what did you do with those tapes that I sent you a week ago?"  
  
Joe bent his head down and whispered something in her ear. She nodded her head in understanding what he had said. She felt some keys pressed into her hand. "Thank you." She whispered back to him.  
  
Someone cleared his throat behind them. "Is playing one hardy not enough for you Nan?"  
  
Nancy glared at the owner of the voice. "Ned what are you doing here?" You could see her masked anger sparking at the insinuation that he just gave her.  
  
"I'm her to help."  
  
"I don't need help. I haven't accepted help from you in three years and I'm not going to start now." She strode out of the room quickly.  
  
Ned glanced at Joe. "What's going on here?" Joe's glare was just as cold as Nancy's.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Joe shot at him. 'You still ought to pay for what you have done to Nancy. Too bad she won't do anything to you.'  
  
"I'm just here to help." Ned raised his hands as if trying to defend himself against Joe's bristles.  
  
"We don't want your help." Joe pointed out.  
  
"Wait Joe, maybe we can use it. Whether we want it or not." Bess held his arm to keep him from doing anything.  
  
"Doing what Bess?" Joe questioned.  
  
"He can keep an eye on Frank." Bess's eyes told more than she was letting on and he understood what she was saying.  
  
Joe nodded in agreement over the idea. "You're right he can."  
  
Ned understood what was being said. He was to be given duty over watching his arch rival. He had originally come here to start trying to make amends with her so that maybe she could see him as she once had. "Bess I came to help."  
  
"Don't make me pull rank on you." Joe threatened.  
  
Ned nodded. "Yes sir." Ned couldn't believe the injustice of it. Joe was younger than he was and yet he held rank over him.  
  
"Here's our numbers. You are to contact us is here is any change in his condition. Bess was so impersonal. It was almost as if nobody in the group that he hung out with at one time would recognize him as one of theirs. 'How can Bess be so impersonal with me? She just gave me an order that should have been given by my superior. She seems to have changed though. I don't think that it was because she got married.'  
  
"Well I guess I better get to the hospital." He muttered under his breath.  
  
-Nancy-  
  
While Nancy had seen to Chet getting back to work she looked at the layout of the grounds of CAC. It wasn't that complicated. There was none of the wiring that you would expect to find at a facility like this. She was used tall fences with the barbed wires. It would be too easy for a person to bread in here. The ground was really hilly as well. That would make it easy to hide for them. In the camouflage of night dressed in the right outfit anyone could get away with anything. 'I'll have to ask Chet about security around here.' Nancy knew that hey had some because she had to be cleared before they would allow her car through.  
  
"Okay now that I have some idea of what is going on here. Let me see what I can find on those tapes that you have Joe. The key that he had given her was to a room that evidently Aunt Gertrude and his mother didn't know about. She wasn't sure about his father though. Mr. Hardy didn't know about them working for the Network either.  
  
She arrived before long to the Hardy house and pulled her car in. "Oh great! It looks like Aunt Gertrude is here." Aunt Gertrude she could understand a little bit anyways. Her brother and her two nephews were detectives. Albeit her brother was a retired detective now it still seemed that he would solve just as many mysteries as his boys did. He even helped her dad on some of the cases that she was too busy too help on.  
  
She opened the door to find the woman in the kitchen making lunch. "Nancy what are you doing in town?"  
  
"I'm here visiting Frank and Joe at the moment." Nancy made sure that she didn't lie about it. The woman seemed to have a built in lie detector. Nancy could only account that to the fact there were three detectives living in the house and she felt that she had to know what they were up to at least.  
  
"Are you helping them to solve a case?"  
  
"Yes I am." She was ready to get upstairs to Frank's office.  
  
"You know what I think about women working on these dangerous cases."  
  
Nancy smiled whimsically at the lady. "I know. You're a dear but you have to remember that I chose to do this." She kissed the lady on the cheek. "If you don't mind I have some work to do upstairs. She picked up the bags and went to the room that she usually stayed in when she was over here.  
  
She looked around the upstairs. She knew where Frank's office looked like bus she liked to look around the whole upstairs. The air in the rooms just seemed so different from what she was used to. She stepped into Frank's room. Nancy had a sad smile on her face. "Oh Frank you have to make it. I know you can." She spoke in the lifeless room that seemed to be alive and vibrant. She had to resist going to his bed and cuddling up on the sheets. Nancy knew that the strongest smell would be on the bed where he slept.  
  
She wandered into the study that was Mr. Hardy's. She was surprised to his father in the office. "Nancy! I was wondering when I would see you again." He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.  
  
"Hello sir. How are you doing?" Nancy sat down for a minute.  
  
"I'm going to make it given the circumstances. Don't worry my son is very strong." He encouraged the red haired beauty before him. He had to admit that his son knew how to pick them.  
  
"I know Mr. Hardy. Does Aunt Gertrude know? I didn't say anything to her about it." Nancy kept her voice low.  
  
"No she doesn't and I thank you for your discretion. Did you want something?" He inquired with his pen in his mouth.  
  
"No I was just looking around the upstairs area before I sat down in Frank's office." Nancy answered.  
  
"So you're here to work on the case."  
  
"Yes sir." Nancy got up to leave the room.  
  
"Be careful out there Nancy. Whoever shot him is watching." Fenton hardy warned the young woman. He watched her leave. 'I hope that nothing does happen to you. I don't even know how he will react if something does happen to you. I don't think that Joe will even be able to stop him.'  
  
Nancy pulled out the chair in the office after she made sure that he door was shut and locked. "Okay all I have to do is to type in the codes that she had been given." She muttered as she began. After she finished that there was door from behind her that had opened from the paneling in the wall. "Well this is interesting." Nancy took the keys that Joe had pressed into her hand earlier.  
  
The key opened a panel that had another code to be typed into it. "Boy Frank you have either became paranoid in your years working for the network or just extremely cautious. She typed in the fourth password that she had been given. The code opened the rest of the panel door to reveal a little room of carefully labeled tapes and DVD's. Inside the room if she were to bend down she would find another surprise. She didn't though since she had found the tapes that she had wanted. They were obviously some of the top ones because that was the case they had been working on. "Well here goes." She popped open the laptop cod player.  
  
-Bess and Joe-  
  
"Joe what about the warehouse that you were checking out?"  
  
"That's where we are headed. I called in a few favors. It's being guarded. We should be able to get in without a problem." Joe assured her.  
  
"Wouldn't the place have been cleaned out by now?" Bess was stating what Joe already knew.  
  
"Yes it would but they usually leave something behind. That is what Frank was looking for before he..." Joe didn't finish the sentence.  
  
"I'm sorry Joe." Bess didn't know what to feel. She didn't know whether to feel empathetic or to feel anger toward the person that had done all of this. "I've got to call George after we finish here." Bess commented.  
  
"It's alright we both know the risk of the work we do. In fact we all do." Joe tried to sound logical but he really didn't. Joe pulled into the parking lot across from the warehouse. 'I hope I know what I am doing. I know I trust Nancy but I've never had to rely in Bess alone.'  
  
Bess knew what he was thinking. 'I promise you Joe that you do know what you are doing. I will help to find who did this but I have to tell Nancy what I have been doing. I hope that she will understand.'  
  
"Is the lady with you sir?" A man gave Bess a flirtatious smile.  
  
"Yes she is." Joe gave a business like answer with no emotion to it whatsoever.  
  
Joe assigned her an area to look where he could keep an eye on her as well as do some investigating of his own. "Joe, Chet told us that he had received a note saying something about the chemical that he had been working with. Did you check it for the any water markings?" Bess inquired.  
  
"Yeah. It was just regular typing paper. There was nothing of significance with the piece except fro the note that was on it."  
  
"That doesn't help any." She thought out loud. "Is there anyway to find a tracer on the printer that did it?"  
  
"No there isn't. Computers are a home commodity now. When that happened printers were the next thing to be demanded. It would be highly unlikely to find a clue in that direction. It's good thinking though." He encouraged. Maybe Bess would make a good detective after all.  
  
"Joe come and look at this." She had found a tiny pin with a Greek symbol on it.  
  
"Ever study ancient languages?" Joe asked her.  
  
"No, should I have."  
  
"No it just would have helped with this symbol." They searched the rest of the warehouse to find nothing.  
  
"Well at least it's something." Bess was a little encouraged at this thought.  
  
Bess climbed into the seat of the car as Joe dismissed he officers that had been waiting there as they had been ordered.  
  
-Ned-  
  
Ned watched over Frank wishing that he had something to do other than replay in his mind what had happened over the last few years. "Why'd she have to go and fall in love with you? I was almost finished with that case and I could have gone and won her heart back. I wanted to help out with this case but she doesn't want me to. I think that I have hurt her far more than I thought. I wish I knew what was going on so that I at least could try to help out whether the help was wanted or not." The truth was that he had no leads and no clue as to where the rest of the group had gone. He wouldn't be able to tell what they were doing. The only reason he knew about this was because Joe had called in some favors asking for guards to watch some warehouse. That was when the idea hit him. He did have a lead. He would prove t o Nancy that he was worthy to be loved.  
  
-Frank-  
  
'I hear somebody talking to me or him like he was really troubled. I didn't understand that the voice is what was making my head hurt because of the harsher beat of my heart against my chest. Why does this voice make me want to kill him? It was very familiar. I know it isn't Nancy. Her voice is sweet and melodic. Just as the voice continued talking I realized who it was I knew what it was that made me angry. I had to wake up. He was going to try to win my Nancy back by solving this case! I can't have him hurt her once again. He hurt her really bad for a long time. I wonder how she is.'  
  
-Ned-  
  
Ned watched as the Frank about his age began to stir. "Nancy?" Frank whispered to the air around him. - - - -  
  
I'm so sorry for such a late update on this story. I was having trouble trying to keep up with everything that I was doing for the holidays and then when I began to work on this last week I had such a bad case of writer's block for this story it wasn't even close to funny. I think I gave up trying to do this chapter after I erased it about three times.  
  
I made the chapter longer in hopes that you won't throw tomatoes at me.  
  
Katie Janeway and Lord Dreadnault I want to thank you for the reviews that you gave me on A Christmas Story. I would have tried to continue that except there was nothing left to tell. I had completed what it was that I had wanted in the story. I was trying to tell the birth of Jesus and still make it where the kids would be the ones solving the mystery.  
  
Don't worry though because they will be back before long. This next time they will be solving a real mystery. Bess's child will be old enough to help as well on the next one. I have few other Nancy Drew stories to do before that though. In O' of all the luck left a lot of stories open to work and play with.  
  
If anyone gets any ideas that you want to give me that will be alright. I'm not out of ideas at the moment but this story might need some more. I promised you the triangle would start to show up in this chapter. So it begins. What do you do when you have two guys in love with you? (I know that she isn't thinking about it right now but she will definitely be doing that in the following one as well as trying to solve this case.  
  
Anyways sorry again for not updating for so long. You know the drill. Be sure to give me a good and honest report! Happy New Years! 


	6. Clues

The key opened a panel that had another code to be typed into it. "Boy Frank you have either became paranoid in your years working for the network or just extremely cautious. She typed in the fourth password that she had been given. The code opened the rest of the panel door to reveal a little room of carefully labeled tapes and DVD's. Inside the room if she were to bend down she would find another surprise. She didn't though since she had found the tapes that she had wanted. They were obviously some of the top ones because that was the case they had been working on. "Well here goes." She popped open the laptop cod player.  
  
- - -  
  
"Joe come and look at this." She had found a tiny pin with a Greek symbol on it.  
  
"Ever study ancient languages?" Joe asked her.  
  
"No, should I have."  
  
"No it just would have helped with this symbol." They searched the rest of the warehouse to find nothing. - - - 'I hear somebody talking to me and he sounded like he was really troubled. I didn't understand why the voice was making my head hurt because of the harsher beat of my heart against my chest. Why does this voice make me want to kill him? It was very familiar. I know it isn't Nancy. Her voice is sweet and melodic. Just as the voice continued talking I realized who it was. I knew what it was that made me angry. I had to wake up. He was going to try to win my Nancy back by solving this case! I can't have him hurt her once again. He hurt her really bad for a long time. I wonder how she is.'  
  
-Ned-  
  
Ned watched as the Frank about his charge/rival began to stir. "Nancy?" Frank whispered to the air around him. - - - Hey everyone! How were your holidays! I hope that they were as good as mine.  
  
Katie- He will eventually help because he wants to. Right now he has an ulterior motive for trying to help other than they need it. Don't worry he will reconsolidate with them soon enough. Of course you know that from A Christmas Story. But between here and there are a lot of stories that have yet to be told that were started with O' of all the luck. Even if you don't see it.  
  
Erincamille- The different view points will be seen as we go along. There are too many characters here not to do something like that and the fact that they are not always in the same place at the same time.. Well you know what I mean. They all have different things that they must do to solve the case.  
  
Princess Skywalker- Don't worry I'll get around to the fraying of the trio. If not in this chapter then in the other chapter.  
  
Vivian 1- Thanks. I like to know that I have all of the bases covered.  
  
Dizzy-izzy- Yeah the old jealousy ploy works every time. Doesn't it? I look forward to seeing where I would go with this.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them! I just have fun writing them. I believe that Stratmeyer Syndicate and Simon and Schuster own them.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Nancy was about to give up watching the tapes. She had watched six tapes each of them being 6 hours long. She heard a knock at the office door. She stopped the tape before she opened the door.  
  
"Nancy have you slept at all?" Fenton Hardy looked at the girl that at a glance could be told she hadn't been sleeping.  
  
"I took a catnap for about an hour. I have got to find out what is going on here." Nancy's voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
"Well you're going to go to sleep and eat a meal. You're not going to do anyone any good by not sleeping." He was worried about the young woman. He hadn't seen her like this very often.  
  
Nancy could tell by his tone of voice that she was to give no argument. "Yes sir. Let me get things wrapped up in here." She was about to close the door in his face when he stopped her.  
  
"Nancy you have five minutes to get things wrapped up in there." She nodded her acknowledgement of those orders.  
  
"You promise that you will wake me after two hours." Her face held just as determined a look as he had just given her.  
  
"I promise." He could remember when he would work on cases around the clock like this. Laura had to make him get some sleep. If he didn't listen to her then she would take it to the next level and go to the chief that he worked under. Problem here was that he wasn't sure who she really worked under let alone his sons.  
  
That would be interesting to know." He muttered to himself. "Does she work under that Detective Marshall or under someone else? He had tried to find out before who his boys were working for. He couldn't find out though. It seemed as though there were so many loopholes and everything like that it made it next to impossible to find out. They said that it was some kind of government agency but when he checked into it there really wasn't anything that this company did. There had been no connecting company. It was the biggest ring of false leads that he had ever seen. He still wanted to know though. He would eventually find out.  
  
Nancy showed up at the door five minutes later. "If they call about Frank don't wait for the two hours to pass." She slipped into the hall as Fenton Hardy watched her almost step into her room. She seemed to decide against it as she went into her room.  
  
-Bess and Joe-  
  
"Dad where is Nancy?" Joe asked his dad when he walked into the room.  
  
"She's asleep. I want her to stay asleep."  
  
"Let me guess she stayed up trying to find clues on whatever she was working on." Bess queried.  
  
Mr. Hardy chuckled at the girls guess. "You know her best. You tell me."  
  
Bess smiled. She thought about all the times that Nancy had done that since she had refused to allow George or her help with the case.  
  
-Flashback-  
  
"Nancy you can't do this. It will end up killing you!" Bess confronted her friend after she had received the message on her answering machine saying that Bess's help wasn't needed any more.  
  
"Bess what would happen if something horrible were to happen to you. What would I tell you're fiancée?" Nancy's answer was quiet enough. It just chilled the room all around them.  
  
"Nancy why? We've worked together since we were 16 years old. Why now?" Bess wanted to cry.  
  
"You're engaged now." The answer remained the same but the tone was different. It was almost sad.  
  
"Is that what you told George last year when we found out that she was pregnant? Why didn't you tell her that when she was engaged to her husband?!" Bess's voice rose a couple of octaves.  
  
"Bess please don't yell. I love you and I don't want you to miss out on the best years of your life because of me. These years belong to you two." Nancy was crying.  
  
Bess remembered wanting scream. "You haven't cried since you lost Ned. What else is going on that you haven't told us about?"  
  
Bess knew that Nancy lied at the next answer. "Nothing."  
  
- -  
"Bess I need to talk to you." It was Carson Drew's voice over the phone.  
  
"Not a problem sir. Where at?" She asked her friends father.  
  
"At my office."  
  
"I'll be there in ten minutes." Bess had been waiting for a call from him. Something was going on with Nancy and she wanted to know what it was.  
  
Ten minutes later she pulled in front of the lawyers office. "I'm here to see Carson Drew. He's expecting me." She put on her best professional face.  
  
The secretary eyed wearily. "Mr. Drew there is a young woman by the name of Bess Marvin here to see you."  
  
"Send her in. Cancel the rest of my appointments for the day."  
  
"Yes sir." The secretary looked to see that Bess had already left the desk area to go to the office.  
  
"Mr. Drew I'm worried about Nancy. She's pushing both of us away. She has always had us as back up." Bess said.  
  
"I know. I saw her do it. First it was George and now you." Carson Drew observed the young woman. She held a lot of promise as a detective. She had been helping Nancy far too long to not know what she was doing.  
  
"Why is she doing this sir?" Bess whispered.  
  
"She thinks that she is keeping you safe."  
  
"I don't want to be kept safe. I know what she was working on out there. It isn't safe for her to do it alone." Bess was pacing the room.  
  
"Bess sit down. Let me tell you a story." Carson Drew ordered trying to keep her calm.  
  
"This better be good." She sat down begrudgingly.  
  
"It is." He started the story. "You know that I was married at one time. Nancy and Elizabeth were the perfect mother-daughter. I spent what time I could with them but I was always being called away on a case. She remembers us spending less and less time together. We were fighting the last time I saw my wife. I received a report that she had been killed one day in a car accident. I left the case that I had been working on in the hands of my seniors at the time. Nancy was heart broken. She would cry for hours into the night wanting to know where her mommy was. All I could tell her was that her mommy would never be back. I didn't know how to explain to a three year old child that didn't comprehend that her mother was dead."  
  
"I'm sorry." Bess whispered. She hadn't realized what had happened because Nancy had never talked about her mother. She always said that she didn't remember her. That was acceptable because she had been too young.  
  
"That was when I decided to look into getting a housekeeper. She turned out to be Hannah. Hannah worked wonders with Nancy and things soon went into a routine. I watched Nancy as she grew into a beautiful young woman. She looks just like her mother. Elizabeth would be proud to see Nancy now." Carson ran his hand through his hair.  
  
"I see part of the reason why she is trying to push us away then." Bess's head was down. "What about you? Nancy is so busy now that she doesn't have time to breathe let alone to make phone calls and let you know that she is alright."  
  
"She does call. It doesn't prevent me from worrying about her though. I don't know the extent of the work that she does most of the time." Carson sighed.  
  
-End flashback-  
  
In truth Bess didn't sit that case out. She had helped her best friend and Nancy couldn't do anything about it. After the case was finished she had never been allowed to help her any. She was tired of sitting on the sidelines all the time waiting to be told that it would be alright if she were to help her best friend. She was going to do it now whether she wanted the help or not.  
  
"Bess." Joe was trying to get her attention. "You zoned out there."  
  
"Sorry Joe." Bess muttered.  
  
"Bess what are you doing here?" Nancy's voice came from behind.  
  
"I'm helping to investigate Nancy." Bess took a short breath.  
  
"Why aren't' you sitting with Frank ready to call me if anything changes?" Nancy's arms were crossed.  
  
"Ned asked if he could help and I told him that he could. I was helping Joe check out the warehouse that Frank had been in. Did you find anything on the tapes?" Bess changed the subject form her to what Nancy had been working on.  
  
"Bess that trick isn't going to work. I'm the one that taught you that trick remember?" Nancy had turned cold at the mention of Ned sitting by Frank. It wasn't that she was worried about what he would do to Frank because he wouldn't do anything to his superiors if he didn't want to get into a lot of trouble. "Why are you helping Joe then?"  
  
"I'vebeendoingdetectiveworkmyselfallsinceyouhaven'tallowedmetohelpyouwithany ofyourcases." Bess said in a nervous jumble.  
  
Everyone stared at her. Nancy though couldn't believe that her friend had been working solo since last year. "Bess did you just say that you had been working of your own cases?"  
  
"Yes! I'm tired of working on the sideline Nancy. Don't you think that life got a little boring after solving mystery after mystery with you?" Bess replied.  
  
"What about your husband?" The lovely redhead asked.  
  
"My husband knows that I do extra work on the side occasionally." Nancy didn't miss the fact that Bess didn't mention that he knew what she was doing.  
  
"You know this is dangerous right?" Nancy asked.  
  
"Yes, I believe that we all know that." Bess looked at their friend evenly for the first time since they had started this conversation. "I want to do this."  
  
"Yes. I understand Bess." Nancy was resigned to what she knew her friend wanted. There was nothing she could do to stop her.  
  
Bess went back to her question that she asked earlier. "Did you find anything earlier?"  
  
"No. I only have one more tape to watch." Nancy responded before she looked at her watch. "Before I do that though I want to call Ned and see how Frank is doing."  
  
She stopped just before she made the needed call. "What did you find?" Bess showed her the little Greek pin that they had found.  
  
-Ned-  
  
Ned looked at the now sleeping form. 'I have to call them and let them know that he is doing alright.'  
  
The phone rang. "Hello!"  
  
"Hello Ned." It was Nancy's cold voice that got his attention.  
  
"Nancy I was about to call." Ned quietly said to her.  
  
"How is he?" She asked quietly.  
  
"He's sleeping. The doctors say that he will wake up soon." Ned informed her quietly so as not to wake him up.  
  
He heard Frank stirred on the bed. "Nancy?" He asked opening his eyes. Ned nodded his head. "Let me talk to her." Frank ordered before he was handed the phone.  
  
"Nancy how are you doing?" Frank asked.  
  
"I'm okay." She answered.  
  
"What is he doing here?" Frank asked her.  
  
"He said he wanted to help. I told him no and Bess sent him to watch over you." Nancy said.  
  
"Did you find anything on the case?" Frank asked.  
  
"I didn't find anything yet. I'm about to watch the last tape that you have." Frank winced at the slight movement of his arm. "That is after I come and get you."  
  
"Nancy how much sleep have you gotten?"  
  
The other end of the line was silent. Frank heard a different voice come on the phone. "You know I had to make your girlfriend go to sleep."  
  
"Dad, how are you doing? What did you do to Nancy?" Frank didn't say girlfriend because he didn't know exactly where they stood at the moment. He wasn't sure that she knew where they stood at the moment.  
  
"I'm doing fine. I had to almost pull her out of your office to get her out of there. Then she would only consent to sleeping for a couple of hours which she didn't even get that much." Mr. Hardy was saying over the line before it was taken.  
  
"Frank I'm glad to hear that you're talking now. That must mean that you're in the world of the living."  
  
Frank groaned. "Joe that is the worst one that you have come up with. Promise me something."  
  
Joe muttered an okay. Frank could almost see his brother twisting the phone cord in his hand when he said that. "Promise me that you will keep an eye on Nancy until I can get to her."  
  
"You don't have to worry about that I will." Joe assured.  
  
"You better I don't want anything to happen to her." Joe chuckled at the other end of the line.  
  
Bess took the phone from Joe. "Frank you've got to get better soon! Nancy is almost intolerable without you to keep her in line." Frank heard a resounding thwack of paper over the phone.  
  
Hey Nancy was that really necessary?" Bess teased her friend.  
  
"Let me see if I can talk to her." Frank said to the blond.  
  
"Frank don't believe a thing that they say! None of it's true! I just want to get this case solved." Frank chuckled. It hurt him to do so though.  
  
"Don't worry just promise that you will get some sleep and be careful." After he received that promise he hung up the phone with all of them.  
  
-Ned-  
  
Ned watched with dread as Frank chuckled at Nancy. He wanted to be the one to do that. 'Nancy why did I have to ruin everything between us. I have to get you back. I feel so empty without having you by my side. I don't care if I come in second.' He fingered the ring that he always had with him. He had hoped that one day she would wear his ring once again.  
  
He walked out of the room knowing that Frank would be alright for a few minutes. He had to let these feelings of anger, jealousy, sadness, and longing go. He didn't know how to do that. He needed some kind of closure or some kind of encouragement. He knew what he would do first though.  
  
-Nancy-  
  
It was nice knowing that Frank was going to be alright. "I'm going to help you get this case solved." Nancy vowed.  
  
"Joe I'm going to the office." Nancy walked toward the stairs.  
  
"I'm coming with you."  
  
Bess didn't say anything at all. She followed them into the office closing the door behind them. She watched in awe as Nancy typed in some of the codes that she had been given. What surprised her even more was that a panel opened up in the wall in which Nancy typed in one more code before it revealed some tapes that had been in the wall.  
  
"What kind of work do you guys do now?" Bess wondered aloud.  
  
"Detective." Nancy and Joe answered automatically.  
  
Bess didn't buy it but she left it at that as she joined Nancy at the computer. "What are we looking for?"  
  
"I don't know." Nancy answered.  
  
Just then Nancy sat straight up. "Joe what is this?"  
  
"I don't know?" Joe didn't remember seeing that the last time he had been watching these tapes.  
  
Bess took a good look at what Nancy had noticed. "It's a tube of lipstick. It looks like. What is a tube of lipstick doing there?"  
  
"Joe do you have the blueprints and the schematics of the place?" Nancy asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Bess while we look over the blueprints why don't you hack into the systems and check on the employees list. They might have not told us all that had happened." Nancy asked.  
  
"Not a problem." Bess smiled. Finally she was going to be of some use to her best friend.  
  
Joe and Nancy looked over the all the floor plans that the place had. Joe was surprised at what a fresh pair of eyes had found. 'How could I have missed such an important detail? Lipstick. I didn't even think that would be anything of importance. But why would a woman leave her lipstick lying around. She would want to put it back inot her purse so that she could use it later. Unless....'  
  
He didn't finish that line of thought when he heard Bess stop typing. "Nancy I suppose that you want all of the female workers that are there?"  
  
"That's a start. If we don't find anything there then..." the phone ringing interrupted her sentence.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Nancy I just received another ransom note. If I don't come up with the money that they want they are going to sell it to the highest bidder." Chet said into the phone.  
  
"What does the note say?" She put him on speaker phone so that he could be heard.  
  
"It says that I have to be there at ten o'clock tonight with the money." Chet read the part of the note that he was telling her about.  
  
"Chet I want you to come over to the Hardy's in two hours. Oh and Frank is awake." Nancy informed him.  
  
-Ned and Frank-  
  
"Ned Nickerson what are you doing here?!" Frank was seething at the man.  
  
"I'm here to help get this case solved."  
  
This isn't an agency case. This was a favor for somebody." Frank was sitting himself up.  
  
"Frank you shouldn't be sitting up. You know that Nancy is going to freak out when she comes in and freaks out because you're doing too much too fast."  
  
"Are you worried that she is going to kill you?" Frank's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well you should worry!?" Frank shot back.  
  
"What is going on between you two?" Ned asked him.  
  
"That is none of your business Nickerson." Frank glared.  
  
"It is my business. I love her."  
  
Frank snorted. "If you loved her you wouldn't have pulled what you had three years ago. You know that she lost three years of sleep because of that." Frank could barely keep his voice contained.  
  
"I knew that she had lost a lot but I didn't think that she had lost that much." Ned whispered.  
  
"You didn't! How could you not know? I want to know how you slept those three years after you pushed her away. You were tired of coming in second." Frank kept going. "Don't you know that this is her life! That this is what she does?"  
  
Ned looked guiltier and guiltier. "I couldn't have her know that I was working undercover for these people. I couldn't have her be vulnerable. She would have gotten hurt." Ned looked from the floor to Frank.  
  
"I know that you love her would you have done the same thing?" Ned put the question to Frank.  
  
"I would have told her. I don't go around pushing her away in every way possible just to try to keep her safe. She doesn't stay safe. She works as a detective and a top secret government agent. Tell me where in that does she stay out of the line of fire?"  
  
Ned looked at the floor. "No where." He answered.  
  
Frank was up out of bed going to the window. "I can't stay here. There's something going down tonight. I can feel it." Frank said aloud.  
  
"Nancy isn't going to allow you to help." Ned commented. "You shouldn't be out of bed. You should be resting."  
  
"I shouldn't be in bed right now. I need to be helping her. When have I ever let anyone tell me what to do Nickerson?"  
  
Ned though about all the times that he had worked with him. "Never."  
  
"Just..."  
  
"Mr. hardy what are you doing out of bed?!" A deep voice thundered.  
  
- - - - -  
  
Okay guys you have to forgive me for being late. I'm not really trying to be late omni stories here lately but I've been busy. I made this chapter longer than I usually do as a sorry. I hope that I didn't make it too long. I promise in the next chapter that I will leave you with a lot of action. In fact the story is already set up for the action. It should be fun to write. 


	7. Kisses

"Hello."  
  
"Nancy I just received another ransom note. If I don't come up with the money that they want they are going to sell it to the highest bidder." Chet said into the phone.  
  
"What does the note say?" She put him on speaker phone so that he could be heard.  
  
"It says that I have to be there at ten o'clock tonight with the money." Chet read the part of the note that he was telling her about.  
  
"Chet I want you to come over to the Hardy's in two hours. Oh and Frank is awake." Nancy informed him. - - - "I know that you love her would you have done the same thing?" Ned put the question to Frank.  
  
"I would have told her. I don't go around pushing her away in every way possible just to try to keep her safe. She doesn't stay safe. She works as a detective and a top secret government agent. Tell me where in that does she stay out of the line of fire?"  
  
Ned looked at the floor. "No where." He answered.  
  
Frank was up out of bed going to the window. "I can't stay here. There's something going down tonight. I can feel it." Frank said aloud.  
  
"Nancy isn't going to allow you to help." Ned commented. "You shouldn't be out of bed. You should be resting."  
  
"I shouldn't be in bed right now. I need to be helping her. When have I ever let anyone tell me what to do Nickerson?"  
  
Ned thought about all the times that he had worked with him. "Never."  
  
"Just..."  
  
"Mr. hardy what are you doing out of bed?!" A deep voice thundered. - - - Disclaimer: I don't own them! I just like to write them. I can't wait to see where this chapter goes!  
  
Katie: You're smileys are really adorable. I can't wait to read the next review that you send.  
Chapter 7  
  
"Here's the plan." Joe and Nancy had worked up a plan. They hoped that it worked.  
  
Chet had arrived a few minutes ago. "What will I be doing?"  
  
"You Chet get to be right in the middle of all this. We will have cameras set up here and there so that we can see what is going on." Joe said to him.  
  
"Oh and I wanted to help."  
  
"You will be helping." Bess said.  
  
"Hey what are you guys up to over here?" Nancy turned around.  
  
"Frank Daniel Hardy what are you doing out of bed!?" She yelled at him.  
  
"I couldn't stay in bed any longer. I want to help." Frank gave a cheerful grin. He liked to get her riled sometimes.  
  
The others that were in the room just backed into the far of the room. Ned walked in at that moment. "Ned Nickel Nickerson how dare you let him out of that bed! He is supposed to be resting."  
  
Ned backed away. "Frank wouldn't listen Nancy!" He defended. "He never listens to anything anyone says!"  
  
Nancy looked from Ned to Frank. "Chet there is something you can do if you really want to help other than in the midst of everything. Keep him in bed."  
  
The look that Chet gave her was amusing indeed. There was a mixture of surprise and incredulousness in his face. "You want me to keep Frank Hardy in bed? You must be talking about another Frank Hardy because I don't see one that will stay in bed."  
  
"Oh yes he will."  
  
Bess looked at Nancy. She didn't like it when Nancy got that look in her eyes. That could never mean anything good. "Nancy what are you going to do?"  
  
"You'll see." Nancy picked up her bag before she went toward him.  
  
-Frank-  
  
'I've only seen that look in her eyes a couple of times and both times it wasn't anything good at all.' He tried to back away from but found himself backed against a wall. 'Okay Hardy you've gotten out of worse situations before. How do you get out of this one?'  
  
He gulped silently at how near she was to him. Her hair smelled so good with the strawberry shampoo. She whispered in his ears sending little uncontrollable shivers down his spine. He was getting hot. A little too hot.  
  
Her hand was on his chest as she pushed him down the hall and up the steps to the second floor. 'I have to resist her kiss. I know that she is up to something.' He thought as her lips met his. 'Oh why do I have to be so in love with her. It might make this a little easier.' He thought as he felt his arms wrap involuntarily around her bringing her a little closer to him.  
  
The next thing he knew he was being handcuffed onto his bedpost. He grabbed the hand that was holding the other pair of handcuffs and held it behind her back. "You sure you don't want to have a little fun instead." That did the job for a few seconds until he felt her soft hands run up and down his chest. He groaned inwardly, 'this can't be good.'  
  
"I'm sure." She whispered. Her lips grazed his ear.  
  
-Joe-  
  
Joe watched the scene unfold before him. He didn't know what Frank was going to try to pull but he saw it in his eyes. Nancy was going to try something on his brother. He could see it in her eyes. 'Hmm. This should be interesting.' Joe looked to his right seeing Chet having a hard time keeping from laughing.  
  
-Ned-  
  
"Nancy don't you have a plan you're working on right now?" Ned was trying to save Frank from whatever she was going to do. Over the years there had been several things done to him by her. They usually ended with him having to take a shower to clean up.  
  
"Oh I am Ned." She said a little too coolly.  
  
-Back to normal-  
  
Nancy was about to lead Frank out of the room when Frank did the first thing that came to mind. "You know you look very pretty when you're upset Nancy Drew."  
  
"Oh yeah." She whispered almost by his ear. That sent a small shiver by his spine. She led him out of the room and up the steps where the others followed at what would have been a discreet length if they weren't so many of them.  
  
In the hall they could be seen right by Frank's door. Nancy had kissed him and Frank could be seen trying to resist the kiss. He wasn't very successful at it though. His arms were around her in a few seconds. She opened the door to his room leading him into the room where the bed was. In a few moments he found himself on the bed not really wanting to let her go and not caring if she was trying to get this case solved. That stopped though when he found himself handcuffed to the bed nice and securely. "I told you that there wouldn't e any getting out of bed." She whispered with the second set ready.  
  
Frank stopped her hand from moving with his free hand when he held it behind her back trying to get the cuffs while he kissed her some more. "You sure you don't want to have a little fun instead." He whispered huskily into her ear.  
  
"I'm sure Frank." Her lips grazed his ear. She ran her free hand down his chest loosening the hold that he had on her other hand. "Gotcha!" She whispered before she kissed him one more time before she left the room.  
  
Nancy turned around to see the hall crowded with people at Frank's door. "That is how you get Frank Hardy back in bed when that is where you want him."  
  
"Nan I don't think that I can kiss my brother so that one won't work for me." Joe commented with a rye smile. "You probably could though. I don't think Callie even managed that one successfully."  
  
"I'm married. I won't kiss any guy like that except my husband." Bess held a secret glint in her eyes just as if she was coming up with some crazy scheme.  
  
Frank groaned from the bed. "Will you guys have a little mercy on me? I want to help."  
  
Ned looked at Frank with a smirk. "She did say that she was going to get you back in your bed. The doctor will be happy." Ned paused. "You should consider yourself lucky. Usually when she pulled something on me I ended up taking a shower one way or another. I wasn't being kissed like there was no tomorrow." There was a twinge of jealousy in Ned's voice as he made the comment.  
  
-Ned-  
  
"You know you look pretty when you're upset." Frank had said to her. Ned knew that he was going to try to get out of whatever she was going to pull. He also knew that it would be good. He just didn't expect what did come.  
  
She whispered something in his ear with her smirk. He didn't know what it was but he could see the spark in Frank's eyes brighten just a little bit. 'What is she doing? Is she doing what I think she is?' Ned felt the rage and the jealousy that was never very far from the surface rise. He led the way upstairs hoping that his suspicion was wrong. He could barely keep himself in check when he saw Nancy kissing Frank at one of the doors.  
  
'1.2..3..4.5.6.7.8.9.10.' He was counting to himself trying to calm down. That didn't work very well when she opened the door and went inside still kissing Frank. Then he tried to take deep breaths but that didn't work when he saw her kissing him while he was laid on the bed.  
  
'Nancy what are you doing? I want you back! You hear!' His thoughts almost rang out. He wanted to scream having to watch her do this.  
  
"If you don't want to see her do this then don't watch." Joe whispered as he chuckled at seeing his brother completely handcuffed to the bed.  
  
-Joe-  
  
'Boy Ned is going to burst a blood vessel. He looks like someone just ran over him.' Just to be on the safe side Joe maneuvered his way toward Ned to keep him from doing something foolish.  
  
-Back to normal-  
  
Ned felt himself breathe easier when Nancy was away from the room. "Ned you're with me. I don't want you letting him out of bed and I know that he will try to pull rank on you." She looked at Bess almost apologetically. "I'm sorry Bess I know that you want to go with but I really have to ask you to stay with Frank."  
  
Bess protested. "But I.. I have more experience than Chet does."  
  
Nancy smiled at this. She was really sorry that she was having to ask her friend this when she wanted to help out so badly. "I know but there isn't one of the people in this room I trust to keep Frank in bed other than you. When we go out next time like this you will be on the top of the list." Nancy promised.  
  
"Chet you will go where previously planned and we have a case with fake money in it." Everyone nodded at their current assignments.  
  
Nancy went upstairs to see how Frank was doing before she left. "Awww. is poow wittwe Fwankie twapped." She kissed his forehead and moved away before he could kick her.  
  
"Oh you just wait Nancy until I get out of these." He told her out loud.  
  
"Oh I'm sure you're going to come up with something really good for me." She answered knowingly. She left the room leaving for Bess to enter.  
  
"Bess I thought that she was leaving Chet here." At least Chet he would have been able to talk into letting him out.  
  
"She decided against it. She said that she didn't trust any of them with you." Bess smiled at him.  
  
"Why is that?" he was trying to buy some time but it seemed that Bess didn't miss a thing because she was watching him very carefully.  
  
"Well you would have pulled rank on Ned she said. I don't understand what that means but oh well. Chet being your best friend would have let you out because you would have bribed him somehow and as for Joe he's your brother." Bess answered. "So did you enjoy the 'LITTLE' kiss that she gave you?" Bess teased after she finished telling Frank all of the reasons.  
  
Frank turned all red. "I can't believe that she did that." He muttered under his breath.  
  
-Joe and Chet-  
  
Joe was in the van watching where all he cameras had been setup. Each member had an earpiece that could be heard for two miles away. "Chet you ready?" Joe didn't like having his friend play bait. Chet while he always wanted to help out usually didn't because he would eat the whole time or be in his lab. He had no idea how much danger he was even in. He was the bait and that wasn't a good thing.  
  
"I'm in place Joe. I hope that we catch these guys tonight."  
  
-Nancy and Ned-  
  
Ned kept all of his senses in tune and still managed to pay attention to what Nancy who was right by his side. "Ned you're to go to the right of the building. I will be going to the left but we will stay in sight Chet so that we can see what is going on."  
  
"Okay Nancy but before I do that." He twirled her to face him and gave her a resounding kiss. - - - -  
  
Okay guys I know that I have said it before but I will say it again. I will not be writing any sex scenes into these stories. If you want to imagine that particular scene you can but then I have to say that you have a dirty mind. I'm one of the strong believers that you wait until after you're married to make love to your husband so if I have anything to say about it they won't do anything of the sort until after they are married.  
  
You know the drill. You have to give a good and honest review. I hope that this chapter was better than the others. I think it is though. It was getting just a little boring in my book. This chapter was so much fun to write. 


	8. Waiting

Ned kept all of his senses in tune and still managed to pay attention to what Nancy who was right by his side. "Ned you're to go to the right of the building. I will be going to the left but we will stay in sight Chet so that we can see what is going on."  
  
"Okay Nancy but before I do that." He twirled her to face him and gave her a resounding kiss. - - - -  
  
Katie- I happen to agree about "Poow wittwe Fwankie." I couldn't resist doing that and it was the best line in the whole chapter. He can't do anything to her either at the moment. Don't worry he might be able to pull something on her in the next couple of chapters in her. That one will be fun. Oh and I already pinned Ned to the wall and punched him enough for all of us. You can have a hand at him if you want. I'd like to see him run.  
  
Ocean-Thank you for the tip. I'll keep that in mind next time I want to make a comment.  
  
Lord Dreadnault- It's been awhile. I'm about to e-mail you again and see where the next chapter for your story is. You seemed to have left us hanging.  
  
Dancer 51-I've actually already answered that question. You will have to read A Christmas story to find out. You don't sound like you've read it. Let me check. Nope you didn't. After you finish reading R&R. I know it's cute, mushy and lame but I actually had more than one purpose for it.  
  
Dizzy-Izzy- I was just making up a name for her to call Ned when she was upset about Frank not being in the hospital. (You know how you're parents would call you by your full name when you were in trouble.) I know it's none of my business but how do you know if you're really in love with someone? What if you fall in love with more than one person in your life? Wouldn't that make it hard to know when?  
  
Thank you to all of the other readers that have read Rivals and the other stories that I have written. The ones that I covered here read the last chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I wish I did though. They sure are a lot of fun to write. I believe that Simon and Schuster and Stratmeyer Syndicate own them.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Ned what do you think you're doing?" Nancy pushed him away.  
  
"I'm getting a good luck kiss." He said to her.  
  
"No you're not." Nancy said icily as she walked in the direction that she was supposed to go.  
  
Ned watched her go. "I will have her back Frank Hardy. You seem to have won her heart but I held her heart at one time."  
  
Something crackled in his ear. "Ned you seem to forget that I'm in the van listening to everything that is going on and that if I hadn't switched you to another frequency she would have heard you." Joe's voice came into his head.  
  
"Oh crap!" Ned muttered. "You won't tell her will you Joe?"  
  
"I won't have to idiot. The way you're acting would scare any woman away. You would think that you would know how to get her attention without making a public fool of yourself. If you do anything to hurt her though.." Joe didn't finish the thought.  
  
Ned nodded his head. He knew Joe could see him through the camera system that had been set up. He wasn't about to try to speak though because of the lump in his throat. He heard a click in his ear and knew that the frequency had been changed back to where they could all communicate.  
  
"Ned are you in position?" Nancy's voice broke into his thoughts.  
  
"I am Nan. Sorry about earlier. I was acting like a jerk." He apologized wishing that Joe didn't hear him. Ned could almost see Joe's smirk in his mind and it definitely sent shivers down his spine. 'How far are you willing to go to get her back? You know that this totally your fault. You shouldn't have pushed her away like that.'  
  
'Oh shut up! Don't you have someone else to haunt?'  
  
'No I'm your little voice that tells you what is right and wrong. You shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't push me away either. Can't you see that she was.'  
  
Ned got tired of hearing the voice talking to him so he tuned it out once again. The same thing that he had been doing for the last three years. In fact he didn't think he remembered having a little voice haunt him day and night until that time. It only seemed t get worse.  
  
-Chet-  
  
It was 10:30 and he was tired of waiting. They should have been there at 10 o'clock. 'What's taking them so long? Weren't they supposed to be here by now? I wonder if they know that I have reinforcements with me to get this case solved. I have to get that chemical back though so I can destroy it. If it gets into and stays in the wrong hands then the whole world is din trouble.' Knowing what the chemical could do only sent more shivers down his back. He was supposed to be the leader of that project. How did it get so out of hand like this? He wondered.  
  
Chet a soft female voice broke into his ear. "Yes Nancy." He whispered looking around trying to find her. "I can't see you."  
  
"Good if you could then whoever this is would be able to as well. If they don't show in fifteen minutes then we'll call it quits for the night." She informed him.  
  
"Yes ma'am. You're the boss." Ned's voice came over the earpiece.  
  
"You remember that Ned because the next time you pull that stunt on me you will wish that you hadn't. I won't care if we are in the middle of a stakeout." The threat hung over the air.  
  
"Chet in ten minutes I want to walk out of here as nonchalantly as possible. Act like you belong here late at night. We'll meet you at the van."  
  
Ten minutes passed and Chet did exactly as he was told. The only problem was that he was so nervous that there was no way that he could act nonchalant about anything. He kept darting his eyes all over the place trying to see where Ned and Nancy was to looking for some king of movement that would give away where the ransomer was waiting on them.  
  
"Ned I'll see you outside. There's something I want to check out. Over and out." Ned went outside as he was instructed wondering what she was going to check out.  
  
Joe stepped out of the van when Ned came toward it. "Nancy has something she wants to check out before she comes out."  
  
"I know. I heard." It was all that Joe said.  
  
"Joe would you mind helping me..." Ned began to ask.  
  
"If you're asking what I think that you're asking the answer is no. I'm not getting into the middle of it. This is between you three." Joe held up his hands and backed away.  
  
-Nancy-  
  
Nancy looked up at the skyline of the building where she had seen movement a few seconds ago. "Let's see what is going on." She whispered into the empty building.  
  
She climbed on to some boxes that were by the wall and would lead to the second floor. The boxes weren't quite high enough and couldn't hold her weight but for a few seconds. It was very rickety on the higher boxes. She jumped the extra two feet that she needed and took hold of the bottom rung. She noticed that the earpiece had fallen out of her ear but there was nothing that she could do about that now. "Shoot." She said to herself. It was kind of creepy hearing her own voice echoed back at her.  
  
She finally managed to climb over the last rung onto the second floor. 'There has to be an easier way to get to the top.' At that moment she saw shadows moving around on the roof. 'Don't have time to look.' Nancy measured the length from second to third floor. It was about six feet. That was definitely closer than the first floor and second floor had been together.  
  
Standing on the last rail she took hold of the bottom rung gingerly. She could barely hold on. There seemed to be something on the cold stone. Nancy decided that she had to do something though to get to the skyline. The shadows would be gone by the time that she got there. 'Please let this work.' She prayed.  
  
Taking a deep breath she swung out with her legs and pushed herself up. She somehow managed to do a half twist in the air not too far from where she wanted to be. She had to be right on target though. She reached out her hand and reached the top rung where a divider met it. She used this to help her hold on because of whatever that stuff was on her hands. Nancy swung her legs up one more time to get her footing. She managed to get over that part and when she stepped onto solid ground she was grateful. Something to her right caught her attention though. She went to the door that seemed to be an elevator. "Good it is and it leads to the skyline." She spoke out loud catching her breath finally.  
  
At the skyline she stepped out of the elevator to find that it was still as the night. She also realized that she was hurting in places she didn't know one could hurt. She ignored that though when she heard a scuffle behind her. "You mind stopping and pulling off your ski caps." She asked with her arms crossed.  
  
The two figures in ski caps looked at her. "Why would we do that now?" A deep voice said to her.  
  
"What are you doing up here?" she was in a fighting stance ready to take out the two thugs.  
  
"You think you can take us on?" the one that had been lower raised himself. He was taller than the other one by about a foot.  
  
"I know I can."  
  
-By the van-  
  
"What's taking Nancy so long?" Ned was worried. She should have checked in by now and she hadn't. She had been gone for thirty minutes.  
  
"I'm going to go look for her." Ned began to walk back to the place.  
  
"Ned if she's in trouble, don't play hero." Joe warned. He knew the dangers of the job. He also knew that she had a good reason for not contacting him. He didn't like the one possibility that ran through his mind though.  
  
Joe went to the com link station in the van and tried to contact her but he got nothing but static. "Shoot!"  
  
- - - -  
  
Okay guys I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I would have made it longer but this really seemed like a good place to end this one. I'm so sorry that it is late for updating. Anyways thanks for reading and give me a good and honest review. 


	9. Fights

The two figures in ski caps looked at her. "Why would we do that now?" A deep voice said to her.  
  
"What are you doing up here?" she was in a fighting stance ready to take out the two thugs.  
  
"You think you can take us on?" the one that had been lower raised himself. He was taller than the other one by about a foot.  
  
"I know I can."  
  
-By the van-  
  
"What's taking Nancy so long?" Ned was worried. She should have checked in by now and she hadn't. She had been gone for thirty minutes.  
  
"I'm going to go look for her." Ned began to walk back to the place.  
  
"Ned if she's in trouble, don't play hero." Joe warned. He knew the dangers of the job. He also knew that she had a good reason for not contacting him. He didn't like the one possibility that ran through his mind though.  
  
Joe went to the com link station in the van and tried to contact her but he got nothing but static. "Shoot!"  
  
- - -  
  
Katie- I think I like to leave cliffhangers. They leave you guys hanging and me a place to start when I'm ready to start a new chapter. I'll try to make this chapter longer because I'm late in updating. I didn't realize that I was.  
  
Dancer51- I'm glad you like it. If you want to know some of what happens like I told you in the previous chapter you have to read A Christmas Story. I hope you have fun and when you do don't forget to review it!  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Nancy stood poised ready to fight. The two men flanked her as best they could. In their minds they were thinking, "Oh two against one. This should be easy." They had another thing coming though.  
  
Nancy rolled her eyes as she recognized the tactics that they were using. They were going to try to overpower her. She looked around the roof to take a brief note of what lie where before the fight actually started.  
  
The taller man threw a punch in her direction barely missing her face. She stepped away from him only to be met by a firm body on her back. 'Oh crap.' She thought to herself as she tried to dodge the next blow to her stomach. There was no way that she could though because the other man held her in place. "  
  
"Keep at her. This is going to be fun!" He encouraged his friend. Nancy went limp in the man's arm.  
  
"Oh she was not any fun at all." He said before he felt a blow on his stomach. He let go of Nancy allowing her enough time to prepare for the frontal assault. She sent a kick toward the other man's stomach but he didn't back up as the other one had when he had his wind knocked out of him.  
  
"You think that will work on me."  
  
"Well I thought that it was worth a try." Nancy dryly commented as she did a roundhouse kick toward the man that was coming behind her. She spotted the door that led to the roof and came up with an idea. She only hoped that it would work.  
  
The two men backed her against the wall. They didn't see the pole that stood there. As the stood in a line formation she was able to grab a hold of the pole for support and kick with both of her legs at their chest. They both fell into the elevator but not before one of them shot her leg.  
  
Ned stood over them with his arms crossed. "Thought that you could get away huh?" They looked confused when they saw Ned. Then they saw Nancy step into the elevator and push the down button.  
  
"Ned you want to do the honors?" She handed him a couple of handcuffs.  
  
"I'd be honored." He grinned at her. "So you bagged them all by yourself. At least I don't have to worry about them lecturing me about playing hero. They'll be lecturing you for not calling backup." He made the wry comment before she threw his a deadly look.  
  
"Don't push your luck. You're only here because he couldn't help tonight." She shot at him.  
  
"Still touchy about earlier dear?"  
  
"Shut up." She seethed. "You're still going to pay for that stunt."  
  
"Oh what happened earlier?" The shorter one smirked.  
  
Nancy pulled off the ski mask that covered his face. "If you speak one more time you won't make it to the station." She threatened when she stepped out of the elevator. "Give me your COM link."  
  
Ned did as he was told. He wasn't about to get her anymore upset than she was already. "Guys we're coming out with a couple of perpetrators." She said placing it in her ears.  
  
"Nancy you scared us. Don't you ever pull that stunt again?" Joe said over the com.  
  
She didn't comment as she opened the door to the warehouse.  
  
At the police station the two men were now in the interrogation room when Joe and Ned were in the interrogation room. Nancy was walking away from the bathroom when she fell down to the ground. When she tried to push herself she couldn't help but yelp with surprise form the taping that ran up her leg.  
  
Chet of course was being talked to by the chief for his statement of where he was when the fight went down. Nancy hadn't yet been called into speak to him. "Miss, are you alright?" A male voice said behind her.  
  
"I'm fine." She pushed his hand away before trying to getup again only finding that she wasn't bale to get up.  
  
"No you're not Miss." He swept her up into his arms.  
  
"Unhand me!" She squirmed in his arms.  
  
"You need help." He answered her.  
  
"Help? I'll show you help of you don't put down this second!" She seethed at him.  
  
"Let me at least look at your leg before you do anything to me?" he didn't like the dangerous gleam in her eyes. At the moment he could believe anything that she could pull on him if she wanted to.  
  
"Nancy what are you doing?" Joe came out of the interrogation room.  
  
"Joe, will you tell this guy to put me down? He seems to not know the value of a woman's word." She hit the man's chest as hard as she could. Joe could see the man flinch.  
  
"Nancy I think that you're being a little rough on him." Joe gulped before he looked at the officer. "I think you better find a place to put the detective down." He hated it when she got like this.  
  
The officer found a couple of chairs by a desk to set her in. "What are you doing?" She growled dangerously at him.  
  
Joe watched with some intrigue. "You know that she is less likely to kill me. If you tell me what you are doing then maybe I can do it?" Joe suggested. He had seen Nancy assess her surroundings. He knew that she had found something that she could use if she had to. The officer stepped back and told Joe what he had seen.  
  
Joe nodded before he walked to Nancy. "Okay Nan. Don't kill me." He pushed up her pant legs to see where a bullet had hit her lower left calf. "Get me a clean cloth he ordered the officer. He ripped the sleeve off his shirt and pressed it against the wound. "You didn't say that you had been hit by a bullet."  
  
"What's going on here?" The chief came up behind them.  
  
"She's been injured sir." Joe answered not looking up from what he was doing.  
  
"What was she doing that she was injured?" The man growled. "You know this is why women don't belong on the police force."  
  
At that Joe got up in his face. "She is the one that bagged those two crooks. She did it by herself by the way." Joe turned away. "You better stop this really fast. Last time I checked there were women that worked in your station."  
  
"They work as dispatch not as top detectives." The man kept his glare on Nancy and his arms across his chest.  
  
Nancy returned it with a steely cold gaze of her own that was until she felt Joe put some peroxide on her wound. "Nancy we'll have to get you to the hospital." Joe informed her.  
  
"Fine. Do you mind though telling me what you found out from the masked men?" She asked.  
  
"They were stealing art from the museum right by the building. They're not the men that they were looking for." Joe informed her sadly.  
  
In the early morning hours Nancy limped into the house and up the stairs all the while pushing away anyone who tried to help her. She went to Frank's room. She noted that Bess was asleep with her head lying down on the mattress beside Frank's sleeping form still handcuffed to the bed.  
  
"Bess. It's time to wake up. You did a good job." She dismissed her friend.  
  
"Thanks Nancy. You know he's a lot easier to keep an eye on when he is chained up."  
  
Nancy would normally chuckle but she couldn't because her leg was hurting her "I'll get him unchained."  
  
Frank heard Nancy talking to Bess and waited 'til Bess left the room. "Nancy you took too long. It was supposed to be a sting." He waited for her to answer. He could tell by the look in her eyes by the dimly lit moon that something had happened.  
  
Joe entered the room. "Frank do you think that you could keep her in one place tonight? The officer, Ned and I sure had a lot of trouble trying to do that. Her left calf is injured." Joe disappeared before Nancy had time to throw something at him.  
  
"You need to stay in one place huh?" He joked.  
  
"If you don't shut up you're going to stay locked up like that until I deem you worthy to get out of bed." Nancy shot at him.  
  
Frank became quiet while she fiddled with the keys in her hand. When she got the cuffs off of him he took her and laid her down beside him. "Frank what are you doing?"  
  
"Keeping you in one place." He answered.  
  
- - - - Okay well I was going to make the chapter longer but that seems a really good place to end it. You know the drill. You have to give me a good and honest review. 


	10. Stubborn Detectives

"You need to stay in one place huh?" He joked.  
  
"If you don't shut up you're going to stay locked up like that until I deem you worthy to get out of bed." Nancy shot at him.  
  
Frank became quiet while she fiddled with the keys in her hand. When she got the cuffs off of him he took her and laid her down beside him. "Frank what are you doing?"  
  
"Keeping you in one place." He answered.  
  
Disclaimer: As we all know, I don't own them I just have a lot of fun writing them. I believe that Simon and Schuster own them. Anyways have fun!  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Nancy awoke to the smell of eggs and bacon cooking. It was early by the looks of things. She then noticed that there was an arm wrapped around her waist. 'Frank.' She thought before she looked at him. She was right. He was sound asleep. 'If I can only get out of the bed without waking him up I can get some work done.' Nancy gingerly touched his wrist trying not to wake him up.  
  
"Nancy what are you doing?" Bess came into the room hissing.  
  
"I'm getting up. I have to go to the bathroom." Nancy stated.  
  
"At least let me help you."  
  
"No Bess I've had worse."" Nancy brushed her off.  
  
"Worse." Bess wondered out loud. She looked over to Frank to see that he was still sleeping. Bess waited for a few minutes to see of Nancy would return to bed. She shook her head with disapproval. "I didn't think that she would."  
  
Frank stirred something felt wrong he thought in his semi-conscious state. He was brushing his hand to where Nancy was supposed to be. His eyes shot open once he realized that Nancy wasn't there. "Bess where is Nancy?"  
  
"I think that she is downstairs. She wouldn't stay in bed." Bess helped to pull the covers off of him.  
  
"You know Bess you don't have to help you know." Frank tried to send Bess away.  
  
"Ugh! You and Nan are exactly the same! I'm helping you. You were shot in the chest." She glanced at his chest you could tell that he kept himself in shape. Bess tossed him one of his shirts. "Put on a shirt."  
  
"What? It's not like you haven't seen me without a shirt." Frank slipped it on.  
  
"Are all you men the same?" Bess threw her hands up in mock disgust.  
  
Frank laughed at her. "Ouch." He muttered quietly hoping that Bess didn't hear him.  
  
"I told you." She helped to guide him down the stairs.  
  
"You were only making breakfast for one in bed Ned!" Nancy's voice could be heard in the dining room.  
  
Frank and Bess had come around the corner to see what was going on. "Uh yes." Ned could be seen rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.  
  
"You selfish, arrogant, bull-headed, inconsiderate jerk! First off I wouldn't have eaten in bed and secondly there were two of us in the bed!" Nancy shot at him.  
  
"Yeah you two looked a little too cozy in there together. Frank with no shirt on." Ned muttered unable to keep the thought to himself. He really wished he had though.  
  
"Whether or not he had a shirt on is none of your business! If you don't straighten up your act then you'll be put back on duty at the agency. You won't be pushing papers either."  
  
Ned gulped. "I thought your leg had been shot." He was backing to the door that led outside.  
  
"You couldn't keep me still last night! What makes you think that you can now?" She challenged.  
  
"Frank is behind you." Ned tried to distract her. He was trying to find away out but could find none when he didn't back against the door.  
  
"So what if he is. He'll get his head chopped off in a minute." Nancy answered.  
  
-Frank-  
  
Frank flinched at Nancy's last comment. 'Unless she will be snuggling by my side once more I'm not spending another minute in bed. I'd rather have her upset with me.' He thought while he continued to watch the scene before him. He didn't think that he had ever seen Nancy this livid. He wondered what else Ned had done for her to completely lose it on him.  
  
-Bess-  
  
'I don't know if I want to interrupt. She looks like she wants to kill somebody. What did Ned do to her?' She looked at Frank and saw the fear in his eyes as eh watched her. She looked at Ned to see that he was actually shaking in his boots. She figured he should be though. He was the only one that could really see her face since her back was turned on them.  
  
-Ned-  
  
'What did I do now? Duh I must be stupid? She looks like she would take a pitchfork through me right now. There's no way out and no way to get her calm that I can see. When I mentioned Frank it didn't seem to faze her.' Ned felt the wall to his back. He didn't want to be at the wall though. He wanted to be at the door where he could escape from Nancy.  
  
-Joe-  
  
Joe walked in on the lovely little scene. He didn't like to be awakened with someone screaming. There was no other word for what was going on either. "Nancy you might want to calm down. He had noticed that his brother wasn't trying to calm her down and thought that was odd. He would have to ask him about that later. In the meantime is she didn't quiet down there wouldn't be any peace in the house.  
  
Ned happened to glance Joe's way when he entered the room. Joe could see the pleading look of help in his eyes. Nancy kept yelling at Ned not even noticing that Joe had said something to her.  
  
"Oh and if you ever, ever think of kissing me again, especially when I'm working on a case or any other time deputy you won't be able to get a job anywhere!" Nancy turned around and Joe immediately stepped out of the way. He really didn't like the look on her face and wasn't about to cross her. "Frank Daniel Hardy! What are you doing out of bed?" She asked anything but calm.  
  
Frank gulped when he was called by his middle name twice in less than twenty four hours by her. "I've been in bed for too long. I'm not staying in bed any longer. He stood up and crossed his arms across his chest.  
  
"Do I have to handcuff you to the bed until the doctor gives us the okay for you to be up?"  
  
"Nancy maybe you should be handcuffed to the bed since you didn't bother to tell me that you had been shot in the leg." He kept his voice down. He knew he had to get her calmed down. She had steam almost coming out of her ears.  
  
"That is a 'need-to-know' base only. I've had worse than a bullet wound to my leg." She shot at him coldly.  
  
'Oh crap! It can't be good when she does the 'need-to-know' bases only.' He thought of something just as soon as he finished that thought. "How much does you leg hurt Nan?"  
  
"Not at all." She answered with fire in her eyes.  
  
He had seen the slight pain that passed through at the last question. She covered it up well and that was what was keeping her anger going as well.  
  
-Joe-  
  
Joe didn't know what his brother was planning but just in case he pulled the table to the kitchen blocking the passage way into the room. He motioned Bess in. She was helped over the table and to safety.  
  
-Frank and Nancy-  
  
Frank sent a kick to Nancy trying to see which leg it was that was injured. From her reaction he thought it was her left leg. She had put all most of her weight on the right leg when she blocked with her arms. "Frank what are you doing?" She couldn't yell, fight and think at he same time.  
  
"Proving a point." He answered.  
  
She sent a kick with her left leg again placing most of the weight on her right leg. Frank blocked her kick and somehow sent her to the floor. "Why you...."  
  
She was silenced by Frank leaning over her. He didn't just lean over a very red and angry Nancy though. He kissed her.  
  
Nancy couldn't fight him because he had her pinned to the floor and was almost right on top of her giving her a hot and heady kiss that left her unable to think.  
  
-Frank-  
  
Frank looked at Nancy with her back on the floor. Where had the table gone he wondered. No matter. Someone had to get her calmed down. She wasn't calming down anytime soon if they didn't do something now. That thought led him to his next position. Nancy was hot with anger he could feel it six inches away from her and he hadn't even done anything yet. He had taken her hands and held them above her head and just about placed himself on top of her to keep her from kicking him. That was when he kissed her muffling an oath she was about to make to him. The kiss was hot and took a few seconds to get her to respond but when she did he knew that he would have to stop really fast. He stopped when he didn't feel he could control himself any longer.  
  
"Nancy I think that you've settled down now." He whispered before he made the effort to get off of her.  
  
He helped her up and looked to see the table blocking the entry into the kitchen. "Don't know where we stand my foot." Bess muttered under her breath.  
  
-Ned-  
  
'It's your own fault you know. You shouldn't have pushed her out of your life. You could be the one kissing her like that.'  
  
'Oh shut up will you.'  
  
'I will when you realize that she isn't yours anymore.'  
  
'I can get her back.'  
  
'With your track record in the past three years I don't see it happening. You have to get her to trust you again first and she obviously doesn't.'  
  
The voice in his head and he argued while he cringed at the scene before him. They were blockaded in the kitchen for safety's sake or because everyone was afraid of Nancy at the moment. As to which it was he wasn't really sure.  
  
-Bess-  
  
Bess was shocked at how bold Frank was being with Nancy but then again what Nancy pulled last night was quite shocking as well. Joe was standing right by her. "Joe I don't believe that they don't know what's going on between them." Bess whispered.  
  
"If they don't pull apart in a sec then I'll do it." Joe whispered in her ear.  
  
They did pull apart. The only thing they heard from Bess was, "Don't know what's going on my foot."  
  
-Normal-  
  
"Frank, why did you do that?" Nancy looked at the audience that was either looking for safety in the barricaded kitchen or providing safety.  
  
"There was no other way to calm you down." He whispered and sent a silent thank you to his brother who only nodded in understanding.  
  
They pulled the table back in place and the girls sent the guys out of the room.  
  
-Guys-  
  
"Ned you had to get her started after you did what?!" Joe whispered. There had been enough yelling for one day and he wasn't about to add on to that.  
  
"I kissed her last night." Ned again rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  
  
Frank sent daggers too Ned at the confession. "You had to get her started."  
  
"You looked like you were enjoying yourself out there Hardy so what are you complaining about." Ned glared at him.  
  
"Okay that's enough." Joe cut in, "Ned if you ever pull anything like that again Nancy's threat isn't the only thing that you're going to have to worry about."  
  
"If you hurt her again then you will wish you hadn't." Frank finished for him.  
  
"Okay I get the point." Ned gulped just before the girls entered to announce that breakfast was ready. - - - - Again I will repeat that there will be NO sleeping together in that way. They might snuggle in the same bed once in awhile BUT they will not have sex until they are married in my stories. Even then I will say that you're imagination will have to take control because I won't write out a bedroom scene. They don't belong in a story.  
  
You know the drill. You have to give me a good and honest review. 


	11. Flowers

"Ned you had to get her started after you did what?!" Joe whispered. There had been enough yelling for one day and he wasn't about to add on to that.  
  
"I kissed her last night." Ned again rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  
  
Frank sent daggers too Ned at the confession. "You had to get her started."  
  
"You looked like you were enjoying yourself out there Hardy so what are you complaining about." Ned glared at him.  
  
"Okay that's enough." Joe cut in, "Ned if you ever pull anything like that again Nancy's threat isn't the only thing that you're going to have to worry about."  
  
"If you hurt her again then you will wish you hadn't." Frank finished for him.  
  
"Okay I get the point." Ned gulped just before the girls entered to announce that breakfast was ready.  
  
- - - - Xinh- I know that is what everyone says. You know I just made the name up. I have next to no background in chemistry so......... Well I'm glad you were able to read the story again and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!  
  
Vivian1- I'm glad somebody agrees with me on that aspect. I don't think it belongs in stories. I think that those scenes belong in the privacy of the bedroom where no one can see. I'm glad you like it.  
  
Sunflower18- Thanks for reading the story I hope you like the rest of it.  
  
Katie- You're right that is an interesting way of calming her but you have to consider the fact (I know you're not complaining though) that he can't fight her right now because he has been severely injured and just recovering. He couldn't fight her for long.  
  
Evil6- I don't know what their middle names actually are. They were never mentioned in the books. I just made them up at the spur of the moment.  
  
I personally like the fact that Ned is constantly in the background seething at himself because he was the jerk that let her go in the first place. He should have thought about what Nancy did for a living before he pushed her away. I think I will play with that some more. Well I think it is time to get on with the story.  
  
Chapter 11  
  
We're back to square one." Nancy muttered running her hands through her strawberry blond hair.  
  
"We'll get this case taken care of. Just like all of the other cases that we have solved. We have to be getting close to something." Frank reassured her.  
  
The doorbell rang just then. "I'll get it!" Ned yelled from the kitchen. There was silence for a moment before Nancy heard, "Nancy it's for you."  
  
Nancy sighed before going to the door. "Yes, can I help you?"  
  
"I have flower delivery for Miss Drew." The man at the door stated.  
  
"This is she." Nancy answered.  
  
"Sign here please." The man stated.  
  
"Thank you." She took the flowers and watched him leave.  
  
Nancy took out the card that was in the cards. "Love you always." The note read. It wasn't signed.  
  
"Oh great! Which one is it that is sending me flowers?" Nancy muttered before she went back to the living room.  
  
"Who are those from?"  
  
"I don't know." She sat down.  
  
"Well what do we have here?" Fenton Hardy came into the room.  
  
"Flowers." Is all Frank answered her father before the bell rang again.  
  
"Nancy door!" Bess called out.  
  
"Can you get it Bess? I'm kind of buried under papers for the moment." Nancy requested.  
  
Bess came in the room with another bouquet of flowers. The card on this one said, "I'm sorry Nan."  
  
"Now I know who sent these. Ned Nickerson get our butt down here!"  
  
Ned ran down the stairs when he heard that. "Yes Nancy?"  
  
"Tell me what these are?" Nancy still held the flowers.  
  
"They look like flowers." He answered. He was trying his best not to smile.  
  
"We dated for four years and you can't seem to remember that I don't like receiving a bouquet of flowers that cost about 100.00 dollars. I don't want to see either of you sending me any more flowers like this. They cost too much!" She warned before leaving for Frank's office upstairs.  
  
Joe walked in on the last of the conversation with the two guys. His dad could be seen in the corner trying not to start laughing at the two guys.  
  
Frank glared at Ned. "What did you put in that card?"  
  
Ned looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry Nan."  
  
"Ned could you be less obvious!" Joe kept his voice down.  
  
Fenton Hardy stepped out of the shadows at that time. "Ned can I have a word with you in my office please." He left the room leading the way to the office.  
  
Frank followed Nancy to where he knew she would be and he was right. She was at the desk typing up the codes into the computer. "What are you doing Nan?"  
  
"Well I'm going to see what I can come up with on the tapes again." Nancy answered. "Maybe I missed something the first time around."  
  
"Nancy," he stopped when he sat on the desk in front of the chair that she was seated in, "considering that I've already gone through all these tapes and that I know that it would take forever to go through them all again, I wouldn't do that."  
  
"I know I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary." She didn't know what to think anymore. Everything was so confusing right now. Having two men vying for your constant attention constantly and working on a case was rather trying, especially one that two of the detectives had been shot on and hospitalized.  
  
"I have an idea. Why don't we fix lunch and then we can go check out the roof of CAC one more time." Frank encouraged her.  
  
"Frank we've checked out the roof three times over. The museum videos didn't catch anything going on. The only reason the thieves were caught is because I saw the shadows when I was down there." Nancy stated. "Let's just watch the last tape once again. Maybe I can find something. I mean we can find something." She corrected finishing up the entrance codes. The wall opened to reveal the tapes that were hidden.  
  
Later that afternoon after everyone had finished the little bit of investigating that they could do they were all sitting toe the table to eat. They had exchanged information only to find that not one of them had come up with anything. Chet hadn't received another letter or a phone call for that matter.  
  
To Nancy this whole case seemed really strange. There wasn't one thing that made sense to her. She didn't want that chemical to get out. It was far too dangerous. She had kept trying to think of where you could keep it seeing that it had to remain on ice basically.  
  
"Frank?" She said loud enough to get this attention. Frank didn't answer her. He seemed to be a million miles away. "Frank?"  
  
"Yes Nancy." He said. He kept his voice down so as not to draw attention to the conversation.  
  
"I was thinking about the case. Chet said that the stuff had to be kept on ice if I remember correctly right?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah he did. What's your idea Nancy?"  
  
"Well Bayport brings in a lot of seafood right? What if it is being kept in a place like that or it is being kept with some of the seafood." She suggested not realizing that she had gotten the groups attention.  
  
"Nancy are you saying...." Joe started.  
  
"That we've been going about this all wrong? Yes I am." She answered.  
  
She didn't finish her line of thinking though before the doorbell rang once again. She went to the door only to find the flower guy standing there. "Miss Drew you seem to be very popular today. Would you sign here please?" The man said before he handed her the flowers.  
  
"Ned and Frank I thought I told not to get me anymore flowers!" she scolded them when she entered the room.  
  
We didn't get you anything." They said at the same time.  
  
"Then who got me these?" Nancy asked aloud. She put the flowers on the table before she pulled out the card.  
  
Nancy looked where she had pulled out the card. "Uh guys I think we had better run!" She exclaimed before a blast went off.  
  
- - - - I hope you guys like this chapter. Sorry I would have had it out a couple of days ago but I had a bad case of writer's block! Well you know the routine. You have to give me a good and honest review! 


	12. Down to business

"Ned and Frank I thought I told not to get me anymore flowers!" she scolded them when she entered the room.  
  
We didn't get you anything." They said at the same time.  
  
"Then who got me these?" Nancy asked aloud. She put the flowers on the table before she pulled out the card.  
  
Nancy looked where she had pulled out the card. "Uh guys I think we had better run!" She exclaimed before a blast went off.  
  
Catherinewells2371-Well here's the next chapter of the story. I'm glad that you got everything caught up. If it makes you feel any better I currently have two weeks of reading to catch up on. I hope to get all of it caught up in a few days.  
  
Crazymary- You're right. I'll be covering some more of Chet in this chapter. It would be crucial I think to this chapter. Thank you for agreeing with me on the marriage thing. It's nice to meet another person who believes some of the things that I do.  
  
Xinh- You wouldn't find it good to eat if it was on your skin probably. You know I just made up the name right. I have no training in chemistry. I don't think I would want to have it near me. I'll definitely be winging this chapter.  
  
Babmidnight- Wouldn't you be a little hot tempered if you had a searing pain coming through your thigh? You're right though she is a little more hot tempered than usual I need to work on her character.  
  
Sunflower18- Well I'm so very sorry for having taken so long to get this updated. I hope that this chapter will make up for the extremely long wait. I'll try to make it longer.  
  
Evil6- I hope that you're guy friend doesn't run every time. If he doesn't put up a fight he would be no fun to hang around. Besides I like to have a guy around with a little more backbone.  
  
Naomi Silverwolf- I'm glad that you think this is great! I hope that you like the rest of the story.  
  
Katie Janeway- You know if I had my way I'd have a cliffie every time I end a chapter. Unfortunately the story doesn't always allow for that.  
  
Lady Emily- I'm trying to update as fast as I can.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I only have fun writing them. You know that goes for every chapter even if I don't remember to do it every time.  
  
I'm really sorry for being so late in my updates. I have had to pay the internet bill, work on sewing projects (I still have some more to finish before the end of this month), rearrange house and clean house. Again I'm sorry and I hope that this chapter makes up for the wait.  
  
Chapter 12  
  
The explosion shook the entire street. The glass flew out all over the yard. The roof shot out from the top and the floors could be heard collapsing to the bottom.  
  
The woman next door stepped out of her house pale along with a screaming baby in her arms. She had begun to make a phone call. There didn't seem to be anyone else around on this particular day.  
  
Nancy spit some grass out of her mouth. There was some extra weight laying on her torso. "Whoever you are get off of me."  
  
She heard a groan from the person on top of her. "Ned is everyone alright?"  
  
Ned managed to roll off of her. "All I see right now is spots Nan."  
  
Nancy looked around her. Ned had a bloodied arm, Bess was lying unconscious next to a stirring Joe, and Frank was painfully pushing himself up. Nancy noted that her leg was protesting to the weight that she was putting on it. Ned went to Frank while Nancy went to Bess and Joe. Joe was up checking on Bess. "Nan we'll have to get her to the hospital." He looked Nancy's leg. "You shouldn't be on that leg like that."  
  
Nancy looked at her pant leg to see a bloodied spot begin to appear. "My body is just going to have to stand in line."  
  
The lady next door showed up in the yard at that moment. "Are you guys alright?"  
  
"We've been better." Ned answered truthfully.  
  
"I've already called the police."  
  
"Thank you ma'am." Joe glanced at Frank. "You shouldn't be moving."  
  
"My body is just going to have to take a number." Frank shot at his brother.  
  
The ambulance and the police appeared at about that time. The paramedics went to the still unconscious Bess. The police went to the other four.  
  
Joe nodded his acknowledgement of their presence but continued to listen to what Frank was saying. "Ned I want you to check out the seafood places and find out about storage units that they use. Joe I want you to make whatever phone calls you need to make to find out more of what is going on. Nancy I want you to talk to Chet. I'm talking to a certain florist."  
  
"Hold it!" The police chief said behind them. The group glared at him. "I need a statement." He saw the look in their faces. He wasn't getting any of them down to the station any time soon.  
  
"You want a statement? We were in the kitchen getting ready to eat lunch. We'll sign the statement later." She was too calm beneath that cold exterior that she was emitting.  
  
-Frank-  
  
He made his way to the florist that had been sending flowers all day. All the while he was going over past events.  
  
-flashback-  
  
He was going through the factory that he like a fine tooth comb. He had already covered the top two floors with Joe. Joe had gone outside to stand take care of a phone call. It had been the middle of the night when Chet called.  
  
-A few hours earlier-  
  
"So Joe what do you plan on doing for vacation?" Frank asked. This was the first vacation that they had been able to take in over a year. They had decided to come home to visit their family.  
  
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Joe took t he chair in front of the T.V. As if to make his point he picked up the remote and turned on the set. He flipped through the channels trying to find something t o watch finally stopping at a basketball game.  
  
"That sounds like a good idea bro." He chuckled. "I'm hungry. What do you feel like eating?"  
  
"How about potato chips and a pickle?" Joe said without any thought.  
  
"Coming right up Joe." Frank put some soup on, poured some sodas, and took the requested items to the living room. "You know that this isn't any good for you right?"  
  
"Like it's going too hurt me." Joe went back to the game.  
  
Frank knew exactly what he meant. When they weren't chasing some villain they were either being trained for something or they could work out in the home gym that they had. "That game sounds really good." He murmured/ Frank sat down and had his spoon halfway to his mouth when the phone rang. The caller I.D. showed Chet's number. "He probably wants to go out and party tonight." Frank answered the call.  
  
"Hey Hardy! I'm so glad you're home. I'm on my way over now." Frank looked at the now dead signal that he was receiving on the other end.  
  
"I don't think that you will be doing absolutely nothing Joe." Frank put the phone back in its cradle.  
  
Joe groaned in protest. His protest didn't have time to spring to his lips however. Frank went to the door that someone was frantically knocking on. Joe sorrowfully turned off the game. Joe could hear the usually boisterous Chet murmuring. "Something is wrong." Joe was about to go into the foyer when a very pale Chet entered the room with Frank. Chet shakily sat down in the recently abandoned seat and handed Frank a note.  
  
We have your chemical compound breakdown. We will be putting it  
back together. It'll make a great weapon.  
  
"What are you working on Chet?"  
  
Chet took in a deep breath. "I'm working on a chemical substance called Xenophonic lygliceridis phelia. I have just found the compound chemicals along with a way to separate them. If the two chemicals are combined together it spells bad news. On contact with anything at all it can eat through it leaving a huge gaping hole. While separate the components are harmless. They were in separate containers and in different parts of the room. One of them has to remain refrigerated while the other one must be kept cold. I found this note when I went to the lab tonight."  
  
Frank had been looking around to see if he could find anything but so far had come up with nothing. He stopped when he heard the click of a gun. That was when he was shot.  
  
-End flashback-  
  
Frank finally arrived in the driveway of the flower shop. He switched his badge in his wallet to his CIA badge because he had a feeling that he would need it. He entered the pleasant smelling shop. "May I help you sir?" A pleasant female voice said.  
  
"Yes I was wondering if you could help me find some information on somebody." Frank said in his most official tone.  
  
"I should I've been here all day."  
  
"This person would have been in her between the hours of 11 and 1 today." He went on to throw a description together of someone.  
  
"I'm sorry sir but there is no one that has looked like that all day."  
  
"Okay well would you mind if I watched your surveillance system?" He requested.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, but we don't allow anyone to watch those tapes." A voice said behind him.  
  
Frank took out his wallet. The man's jaw tightened when he saw the CIA badge. "Come to the back."  
  
Frank watched the tapes. He saw a man send the girl back to get some other kind of flower. The man took something from his pocket and placed it in the ones left on the counter.  
  
He slid a card to pay for them and left the store. He called the flower clerk to the back. "Can you get me the bill for this gentleman?"  
  
She nodded. She had been told to cooperate with him.  
  
-Ned-  
  
"How many seafood places do they have in Bayport?" Ned parked at what seemed to be the twentieth one. So far though there only seemed to be two or three providers. There seemed to be about 30 more that he had to visit.  
  
Ned walked into the restaurant to the sight of stuffed crab coming across his face on trays. He remembered that he hadn't eaten. "I guess I better eat." His stomach was growling in agreement.  
  
"How many sir?" The maitre'd asked.  
  
"One please." Ned answered.  
  
"Name please."  
  
"Nickel." Ned answered. There was some crazy reason that his gut was telling him not to tell his real name.  
  
"We'll call you when it's time."  
  
"That's fine." I think I'll get a drink while I wait." Ned went to the bar area to order one. He asked to speak to a manager while he paid for the drink.  
  
A manager came out a few minutes later. "Can I help you sir?"  
  
"yes I'm interested in opening a restaurant around here. I was wondering f you could tell me what it takes to run one in this town." Ned requested in his most professional sounding voice.  
  
"I'd be happy to before the rush starts." The man sat down.  
  
"I was wondering if you could tell me where I would be getting shipments from?" Ned started.  
  
"Well we receive two sets of shipments. One of them that we get comes from Accessories inc. and the other from Lyson's Seafood." They continued to talk for a few minutes before Ned's name was called.  
  
-Joe-  
  
"Frank why did you have to leave me with all of the hard phone calls. You know I have to call her husband now right?" Joe muttered as if Frank could hear him complaining.  
  
Joe had arrived to the hospital an hour ago but there was not a change in her. The doctor's only shook their stuffy grey heads as he tried to talk to them. Joe was getting really mad now.  
  
"Yes may I speak to George please." Joe waited for a few minutes before he heard Joe's voice over the phone.  
  
"Joe what's wrong?" Joe could almost see George frantically drumming her fingers on the desk.  
  
"Bess has been hurt." Joe didn't know what to expect.  
  
"What?! When?!" Avery could be heard crying through the hall. She must have been down for a nap.  
  
"George will you just calm down?" He kept his voice down but instinctively pulled the phone away from his ear before George answered.  
  
"What do you mean calm down?! First my best friend's love is shot and now my other best frined has been hurt!" Joe grimaced as she continued on. "I knew that her doing this was a bad idea. She insisted that she would be alright. Her playing detective at work wasn't going to be noticed. She said that she was bored. She had to do something to liven up her life. The last case she took almost got her killed!" George didn't see his face when she said any of that without thinking. "She needed a challenge. She can't find a challenge with her everyday life. How could she do this?!"  
  
Joe could hear her husband on the other end of the line trying to calm his wife down. Evidently though he wasn't successful. He had taken the phone. "We're on our way. Where are you?"  
  
"I'm at Baylor Memorial. Oh and it wasn't Bess's doing here. Can you call her husband for me please. I couldn't find his number." Joe requested rubbing his temple.  
  
"Not a problem Joe." They hung up the phone with each other before Joe made another call.  
  
"Mr. Fairchild please." Joe requested.  
  
"Joe I've been expecting a call. How is Miss Marvin?" Joe winced at the request.  
  
"She's not doing so well sir." Joe answered.  
  
"Well what are you looking for?"  
  
"I want to know about the CAC. I need to know what they are not telling you in the computer background check." He kept on thinking. "Also I need to know who has the technology to create pocket sized bombs that can destroy a house."  
  
"I'll get back to you in a few minutes Joe."  
  
-Nancy-  
  
Nancy went over to Chet's school that he was teaching at. She had managed to clean up a bit to keep from looking like she had gone through hell. There wasn't much she could do about the clothes because she didn't have any others. Chet was in the middle of the stronger microscopes to the advanced chem. class. He stopped however when he saw Nancy. She looked angry, dirty and serious. 'Oh crap!' He thought gingerly as he caught her eyes. It was like there was another person looking through those ice cold blue eyes. "Okay class you can have a quiet discussion on your observation of the laboratories in your house." He stepped out the door.  
  
"Nancy what happened?"  
  
"The house was bombed." Nancy said simply. "You have some questions to answer mister." Nancy poked her finger at his chest.  
  
"Just a minute. Let me dismiss my class and get a sub for the next one. We can go get something to eat afterwards." He took her poking finger away from his chest. "My treat. You look like you could use it."  
  
Chet did just as he said and ten minutes later they were at a quiet little diner. "Okay what do you need to know first?"  
  
Nancy pulled out the files that were in her briefcase that had been left in the trunk of the car. "Are you seeing anyone?"  
  
"Nan I'm sure you didn't pull me out of class to find out if I was available. Besides what about Frank?" He stared at her shocked.  
  
She wanted to slap him. "No I didn't. I'm not doing anything with Frank right now. Now answer the question. It irritated her to no end when he tried to make a joke of some matter.  
  
"Yes I am."  
  
"Who is she? Where is she from? Where does she work? What are her talents? What are her interests? How long have you been seeing her?" Nancy asked the string of questions.  
  
Chet shook his head. "Are you always this confusing?" He asked her.  
  
"The questions aren't confusing. Just answer them." She returned tartly.  
  
"Her name is Barbara Lomen. She is from Idaho and she's a scientist much like myself. Her interests are quite vast. I've been seeing her for six months. No one knows about me seeing her either."  
  
"Would this be her?" She produced a picture of a young bright eyed woman.  
  
Chet wasn't surprised. "Yes it is."  
  
Nancy nodded. "Next time you see her let me know."  
  
"I'll be seeing her tonight." Chet informed her. He now understood that she was serious he just didn't know how serious.  
  
- - - - Okay guys I'm really sorry that this chapter came out so late. I've had to pay the internet bill, work on sewing projects, rearrange, redecorate, clean, and work on my stories. If you add that to all of the hours that I work and talk about being busy.  
  
I've made the chapter longer and for those who like shorter chapters I'm sorry. This chapter seemed to have a life of its own. Of course most stories do. 


	13. Detectives Everywhere

-Frank-  
  
Frank watched the tapes. He saw a man send the girl back to get some other kind of flower. The man took something from his pocket and placed it in the ones left on the counter.  
  
He slid a card to pay for them and left the store. He called the flower clerk to the back. "Can you get me the bill for this gentleman?"  
  
She nodded. She had been told to cooperate with him.  
  
_ - -  
-Ned-  
  
"I was wondering if you could tell me where I would be getting shipments from." Ned started.  
  
"Well we receive two sets of shipments. One of them that we get comes from Accessories inc. and the other from Lyson's Seafood." They continued to talk for a few minutes before Ned's name was called. - - -  
  
-Joe-  
  
"What do you mean calm down?! First my best friend's love is shot and now my other best friend has been hurt!" Joe grimaced as she continued on. "I knew that her doing this was a bad idea. She insisted that she would be alright. Her playing detective at work wasn't going to be noticed. She said that she was bored. She had to do something to liven up her life. The last case she took almost got her killed!" George didn't see his face when she said any of that without thinking. "She needed a challenge. She can't find a challenge with her everyday life. How could she do this?!" - - -  
"Joe I've been expecting a call. How is Miss Marvin?" Joe winced at the request.  
  
"She's not doing so well sir." Joe answered.  
  
"Well what are you looking for?"  
  
"I want to know about the CAC. I need to know what they are not telling you in the computer background check." He kept on thinking. "Also I need to know who has the technology to create pocket sized bombs that can destroy a house."  
  
"I'll get back to you in a few minutes Joe." - - -  
  
-Nancy-  
  
"Joe I've been expecting a call. How is Miss Marvin?" Joe winced at the request.  
  
"She's not doing so well sir." Joe answered.  
  
"Well what are you looking for?"  
  
"I want to know about the CAC. I need to know what they are not telling you in the computer background check." He kept on thinking. "Also I need to know who has the technology to create pocket sized bombs that can destroy a house."  
  
"I'll get back to you in a few minutes Joe."  
  
- - - -  
  
Sarah Skywalker- I'm betting that you are a Star Wars fan with your name unless that really is your name. You don't have to worry I don't think killing Bess off will work with the story any. Do You? Thanks for the support on the bed scenes. Oh and you'll have to find out who she chooses in the end won't you. That is unless you've read A Christmas Story. I guess then you'll know the out come of all the couplings that I will have to find a way to explain.  
  
Katie- You know what they say about geniuses right? They say that all geniuses are a little on the insane side. Although I'm not sure if I'm even writing Chet correctly.  
  
Lady Emily- Don't worry abut pestering me. I know that people are actually thinking about my story. I also found it one of the best compliments I have ever received in my writing because you are one of the first people to request that I let you know when I update my story.  
  
Babmidnight- I don't think you will have to worry about the different viewpoints because I think they will all be in here and then some. I hope you like the chapter!  
  
Cacophobic- Well all I can say is how can you not see him as a dating type? I don't think there isn't one guy I've met whether they are the school nerd or the school player that didn't have a girlfriend of sorts. Personally I don't like that many guys so all my friends try to set me up on blind dates. I've luckily only been out three times.  
  
Well I really have no good excuses for missing updating last week. I can only shamefully bow my head and say I'm really sorry and that I promise not to get carried away with reading fanfic stories if I haven't updated my story. Please forgive me.  
  
Doing all this has taken me three pages! I can't believe that!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Stratmeyer Syndicate along with Simon and Schuster do. I only enjoy writing them. (Even if they aren't always in character!)  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Nancy returned to the maroon Toyota that she was driving to wait for Barbara Lomen. Finally they were getting somewhere in this crazy case. She hoped that there would be a lot more leads now because this was getting annoying having all her friends hurt and houses blown up. There was absolutely no reason for all of this to be happening.  
  
Nancy finally saw the young woman come out of the CAC. She plugged the phone into the car so that she wouldn't have to hold the phone and drive at the same time. "Frank she's out. I'll be following her for a little while." Nancy said to him.  
  
"Nan, you be careful."  
  
"I will Frank." She promised. "Is there any word on Bess?"  
  
"Joe said that she was still out but George, her husband, Avery and Bess's husband are the way out her as we speak," Frank informed her as she turned on her engine.  
  
"How is your lead coming?" Nancy made a left turn onto a bust street. She activated the car computer console.  
  
"I'm arriving at the address right now. Let's hope that it's the right one." Frank said to her.  
  
"Alright you be careful." She hung up the phone.  
  
Nancy pulled up the mapsco to see if she could figure out where they were headed. "Well that options out. She's taking a road that leads to four different places." Nancy carefully and quietly wove through the ever slow moving traffic. The woman finally made a right turn. Nancy reconsulted her mapsco. "Why is she going there?"  
  
-Frank-  
  
Frank finished talking to Nancy and hung up the phone. He pulled up in front of the house across the street. There were no cars in front of the house but just in case there was he wanted to be prepared. Making sure that he had the warrant papers necessary he went to the house and knocked on the door. He knocked on the door not receiving an answer so he let himself in as he pulled the gun from underneath the jacket.  
  
The whole house was silent. There were signs that someone had been staying here and there. In the house you could smell the strong scent of a woman's loud perfume mixed with the smell of something that Frank could not identify. There were no cobwebs to be found anywhere and a few dishes in the sink. Frank used some tape to lift the fingerprints off the dishes and folded it into half before placing it safely in his pocket.  
  
All the while he was keeping an open ear for any footsteps besides his own. His heart did a double take when he heard a key in the door. There was a blond woman entering and placing a gun on the table by the door. She made sure to turn on the lamp just as there was knock on the door.  
  
Frank remained hidden in the dark kitchen listening. All that could be heard presently was pleasurable moans. 'Oh please don't tell me that they are doing what I think they are!' He used a mirror that he had in his pocket to see the reflection of a couple about to completely lose control.  
  
The woman pulled away making her best effort to straighten out her shirt. "You know this will be he last time that we can meet in this house. Things are getting a little too close."  
  
The woman answered. "I know. I think that was being followed but I'm not sure. It couldn't have bee that bunch though because we blew up their house this morning."  
  
Frank was smoldering on the inside but he was caught if he even dared to breathe or if they decided to come into the kitchen to get something to eat. He put the mirror away. He didn't have to see what was going on when he could here a treasure trove.  
  
"I know when I bought the flowers this morning the florist made the comment that she was one luckily girl. He said that they had already delivered two sets of flowers to her."  
  
"Well tell me how you planted the bomb." Know it was blown up because a reference was made to it on the news." The woman's voice held a smile in it though.  
  
"I sent him back to get another flower. I had told him that there was something missing from the bouquet for such a special lady." There was a malicious chuckle from the woman.  
  
"Such a special lady. Yeah right. She's nothing but a pest that we can't seem to get rid of. The news didn't say if she survived. I don't think that any of them could have survived that and that would be a good thing because they would ruin the rest of our plans. I have Chet eating out of the palm of my hands. He doesn't suspect a thing; he's a complete and total idiot when it comes to matters of the heart!" The woman kept on saying.  
  
Frank really wanted too come out of hiding now and soc the woman but he fought to keep himself ion control as the conversation continued on.  
  
The man only kept silent as he seemed to be thinking about what the woman said. "On the off chance that they actually did survive what would you do?"  
  
"I'd check the hospitals and the morgues."  
  
"Right I think that we should get started on that immediately before we finish the rest of this plan."  
  
"I think that before we start that I want to eat. You want anything?"  
  
-Joe-  
  
"I want to see my wife!" A voice demanded.  
  
"I'm sorry sir but I'm under strict orders not to allow anyone in this room." The guard that had been placed outside of Bess's door replied emotionlessly.  
  
Joe stepped out of the room to find who it was he expected to see, Bess's husband. "Hello Donald. He can come in as well as the rest that is with him." Joe informed him authoritively.  
  
"Yes sir." He stepped aside to allow them entrance.  
  
Donald Laurel was at his wife's side in six quick steps. "Bess, I'm here sweetie. You have to get better."  
  
Joe could only stand in the background and guiltily look at the floor. 'It's all because we allowed her to help solve this case. We should never have allowed her to even come. She just got married! What if she never wakes up! I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her.'  
  
"Joe she knew what she was doing the whole time." Joe looked at George surprised that she had been reading his thoughts.  
  
"I didn't say anything."  
  
"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face."  
  
"I should be out there helping them find clues." Joe left the room.  
  
"What! Wait a minute Joe!" George called after his retreating figure.  
  
Joe turned around to see Avery toddling to him. She held her hands up to him as if wanting him to hold her. "What makes you seem to know things that you shouldn't?" He asked the little girl as he walked back to George.  
  
"I want to help Joe." George requested as she played with her daughter's fingers.  
  
"No. don't you see that too many people have already gotten hurt?"  
  
"I know that. I also know that I'm not doing this for anyone else but my best friends. Do you honestly think that you can d this alone?" George asked him.  
  
"I'm not alone. I have Frank, Nancy, and Ned out there helping me."  
  
"I think that you forgot to add an injured Frank and a friend in a coma in there." She pointed her thumb to the door.  
  
"Why do you want to do this?" Joe looked into her eyes.  
  
"I have more at stake here than you realize. My daughter and husband have more at stake here than you realize and if someone is going around blowing up your home to kill you guys, I think that I will be losing too much at one time." George took Avery out of Joe's arms. Avery smiled and cooed. "I want to help make this world a safer place for my family and friends. It's the same thing that you do everyday."  
  
Joe cringed inside at about what he was about to say. He didn't want her to get hurt as well. "Alright George you can stay but Avery doesn't go near this case."  
  
"Thank you Joe." She gave him an impulsive peck on the cheek. They both went int6o the hospital room to tell the other men what was going on.  
  
"Donald," Joe said softly behind him. "Donald here's some numbers where you can contact us. We're going to find and catch this guy." Donald was in too much a shock to do anything but take the paper that Joe handed to him.  
  
"Honey, here are the numbers you need. Please call us if anything happens. Anything at all."  
  
"Why are you doing this Georgia?" He whispered as she handed him their daughter.  
  
"I'm doing this for Avery, Bess, and you. Keep an eye on Donald. I don't think that he is going to take this too well." She kissed her daughter and husband before she left the room followed by Joe.  
  
Joe was stopped by his hand just before he passed the man and daughter. "You better not let anything happen to her." There was an undeniable threat in his voice.  
  
Joe looked sadly at the man. "I'll do my best I promise." He tapped Avery's cheek and left the room one more time.  
  
-Ned-  
  
Ned finally left the restaurant that he had been staying with. The man had told him different information on some of the things than the other restaurants had. He didn't like that so much. He was going to finish going through the rest of them to find out what they said. "Why did I get stuck talking to stuffy managers?" he complained before he left.  
  
-Frank-  
  
"Right I think that we should get started on that immediately before we finish the rest of this plan."  
  
"I think that before we start that I want to eat. You want anything?"  
  
"Yes...." There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Can I help you?" the woman asked.  
  
"Yes, I am lost. I was looking for a park where I could take my daughter. Would you happen to know where one is?" The woman at the door asked the couple that was standing in front of the door.  
  
The man and woman took in the woman with dark glasses and hair tucked into her hat. "Yes there is a park about a quarter of a mile from here. If you take a left turn at the end of the street...." They started too explain where the park was.  
  
Frank was still hiding in the kitchen and recognized Nancy's voice even if she was speaking with an accent. He slid out the back door and snuck around the front. Nancy was already headed to her car which was two houses down. Frank waited until she pulled out and came out of the fence of the neighbors.  
  
Frank met her at the playground. "Nancy that was close. How did you pull that off?"  
  
"I followed that woman to that house." Nancy answered.  
  
"That's Chet's girlfriend?" Frank was shocked to say the least.  
  
"Yes." Nancy replied not really knowing what to say.  
  
"She's definitely cheating on him."  
  
"So she's behind a lot of what is going on." Nancy sat on the swing that they were standing in front of. "How is he going to take this?"  
  
"I don't know but I think that we need to get everyone else together."  
  
-George and Joe-  
  
Joe called Mr. Fairchild to see what had been found out. "Joe how is Mrs. Laurel doing?"  
  
"Well she hasn't woken up yet." Joe answered before he asked his own question. "What did you find out about the CAC?"  
  
Mr. Fairchild rustled through some papers. "The CAC is exactly what it is supposed to be. They check the stability of the different components and approve of them or disapprove of them.  
  
"What about the little pocket size bombs that blew up my home?" Joe asked as George winced.  
  
There are not that many people with the knowledge to do create one that small with that kind of impact that we know of." Mr. Fairchild started.  
  
"Do you have a list of people that is supposed to be able to do this?" Joe asked getting irritated.  
  
Mr. Fairchild gave Joe a list of five names to follow up on. Joe drove while George did the background checks on the car computer. "Joe there is only on of them that live near Bayport." George said as she directed him in the direction that the mapsco showed her. "This technology is fascinating. I can't believe everything that you're able to get on the internet while you're driving. Where do you work that you get these kinds of toys?" George wondered out loud.  
  
Joe chuckled at this. "That's a need to know only."  
  
George sighed. "What is this with need to know only?"  
  
"I take it you've heard that before." Joe pulled onto the street that the guy lived.  
  
-Frank and Nancy-  
  
Frank called Joe while Nancy called Ned.  
  
-Frank-  
  
"Joe where are you?"  
  
"I'm with George right now in front of the house of the man that is capable of making deadly miniature bombs." Joe responded grimly.  
  
"How is George taking all of this?" Frank asked.  
  
"Not very well. She said some things that lead me to believe that Bess has some explaining to do." Joe answered his brother.  
  
"How is Bess doing? Who is with Bess?"  
  
"Bess is the same as she was. The doctors say that she will survive. Donald is with her right now. Avery is with, George's husband, Michael."  
  
"Alright well you two finish up there. We will meet.... Just a minute." Frank put his hand over his phone. "Nan, where do you want to eat?"  
  
She did the same to her phone. "How about we eat at Denny's?" She suggested. "What time?" she added her own question.  
  
"How about 7?" Frank raised his eyebrows.  
  
"That'll work."  
  
Frank took his hand off the phone and told him where to meet and what time.  
  
"Alright Frank. I think that we can do that." Joe hung up the phone with his brother.  
  
-Nancy-  
  
"Ned where are you right now?" Nancy asked.  
  
"I'm at the last restaurant in the car." Ned answered.  
  
"So what did you find out?"  
  
"Well there are three different shipping companies. Out of the thirty that I've gone through each of the shipping companies have 10. I will be checking out the last shipping company that I have the name of." Ned answered her.  
  
"Tell us the name of the companies and we can do a background check on them. Just a minute..." she put her hand over the phone to listen to Frank's question.  
  
"Nancy where do you want to eat?"  
  
Nancy thought about it for a second. "How about Denny's?" She suggested. "What time?"  
  
"How about 7?"  
  
"That'll work." Nancy went back to her phone call. "Ned, you still there?" She was digging through her pocket seeing if she had paper and pen. When she found she didn't she signaled to Frank for them. He dug in his pocket for just a minute and found what it was that she needed. "Okay I have paper and pencil."  
  
"Okay the names are Accessories Inc., Lyson's Seafood..." He went on with the list.  
  
"Alright Ned we will be eating at Denny's at 7 o` clock." She informed him before she hung up the phone just as Frank hung up his. "Well that was perfect timing."  
  
She led the way to her car not seeing Frank pull the tape out from his pocket. "Nan, do you have the fingerprint identifier?" Frank asked her as he pulled the tape apart gingerly.  
  
She went to the glove compartment and pulled out the requested mechanism. "Here you are. She pulled out the car computer and found the information that she wanted on the companies.  
  
"Well it appears that these are legitimate companies but they seem to have several connecting companies. This should be interesting."  
  
Frank leaned over her shoulders to see what she was talking about. "You're right it should." He confirmed her words.  
  
They stayed busy for the next two hours.  
  
-Joe and George-  
  
The two knocked on the door. Joe had his wallet ready to ask questions if they couldn't get any answers without it.  
  
The man came to the door wrapped in a towel. He had the other towel drying off his face and hair. "What do you want?"  
  
"We want to ask you some questions." Joe stated.  
  
"Can't you see that I'm busy."  
  
George looked up and down his well muscled torso. "We can see that and we're willing to give you time to get dressed. We just have a few questions."  
  
Joe held an emotionless face as he watched what was going on. He had to keep from killing this guy if this was the correct one. It was only his home that had been destroyed.  
  
They had been led into a parlor that was completely black in mood. There were other colors there but it just held a heavy spirit it almost seemed. They waited rather uneasily as they wandered around the room opening this and that. They were trying to make it look like it was just curiosity. They must have succeeded because he came in and asked if they had found anything interesting.  
  
"This room is quite intriguing." George had answered honestly.  
  
"So you had questions that you wanted to ask me. Ask away."  
  
"Yes." Joe answered.  
  
"What do you do for a living?"  
  
"Well I'm a sculptor of sorts I guess." The man answered.  
  
"What exactly do you build?" George asked.  
  
He pulled out some samples that he had in a box from under his couch. He tossed one to both of the detectives sitting on the couch. Joe caught what looked like mouse and George's looked like a cat. The top of it seemed to open to reveal a hollow inside.  
  
"Do you play with anything else besides wood?" Joe asked him.  
  
"Yes I make things out of metal as well. You can keep those if you want."  
  
"Okay the next question is, can you put fine powder that would blow up say a house?" Joe asked. When the man began to get up George and Joe rose from the couch as well.  
  
"What are you implying and who are you?" The man was seething with anger.  
  
"There was a house blown up today." Joe revealed his FBI badge. "We're looking for who made that because the hold the clue that finishes this case." Joe stated.  
  
"I didn't do anything. Why is the FBI be interested in a sculptor?" Joe went over the cabinet that he had been looking through earlier.  
  
"I found this sitting right at the front. George would you get the other thing that you showed me?" She nodded and went to retrieve the required item. "You combine these two together with a little nitrate and all you have to do is create a bomb with it. I'm betting that you have some of that as well." Joe said to him.  
  
"I'm not talking 'til I see my lawyer!" He crossed his arms together as a stubborn child would.  
  
Joe lost all control then. Joe pushed the man up against the wall and held him there. "Now you listen! Not only did I lose my home but I have a friend in the hospital in a coma, a brother whose injury has opened up but won't stop until we get this taken care of as well as another good friend doing the same exact thing." Joe's eyes were dark and dangerous. George was surprised at this. She had never seen him like this.  
  
"Joe take it easy. We want him to answer questions. We can't get them if he's dead." George placed a hand on his arm that still held the man on the wall. "Why don't you get us all something to drink from the kitchen and I will question him."  
  
"You're right George. You'd better not hurt her."  
  
"Listen if you don't answer my questions I don't know what he'll do to you." The man nodded his head slowly. "Why would you even consider making a bomb powerful enough to blow up a house?"  
  
George asked her questions and got the answers. Joe walked in just as she finished her questions. "Did you find out everything?"  
  
"I did. I'll tell you in the car."  
  
"Okay but first let me cuff him. We can get him to the police station they will want him for questioning." As a second thought he added, "Oh and I found the nitrate."  
  
-Denny's-  
  
They were only waiting on Joe and George when Frank's and Nancy's phone rang at the same time. "You two don't die to easily do you?"  
  
They both had turned pale at that greeting. "You have thirty minutes to go to where it all began or your friends will be the first to die." They only received a dial tone after that.  
  
George and Joe pulled up as they got in the cars. Joe followed them figuring of they were all leaving that it was rather important.  
  
- - - - Okay guys this is about thirteen pages long. I can't believe it! That's the longest chapter that I have ever written for any fanfic story that I've done! I have a feeling though that this story is almost finished. I guess that means I'll be starting another story.  
  
Just for a note I don't know a thing about chemicals and what they balance and what will make them completely and utterly dangerous. So if I make any mistakes with chemical alignment then let me know.  
  
You know the drill! You have to give me a completely honest review. Well I'll talk to you later. Don't kill me if you think that the chapter is too long. If anyone wants me to let them know when I update the next chapter or get a new story going then leave me your e-mail address and your name please. I can't believe that this took me all day to do. I only spent an hour at the swimming pool. 


	14. Starting point

They were only waiting on Joe and George when Frank's and Nancy's phone rang at the same time. "You two don't die to easily do you?"  
  
They both had turned pale at that greeting. "You have thirty minutes to go to where it all began or your friends will be the first to die." They only received a dial tone after that.  
  
George and Joe pulled up as they got in the cars. Joe followed them figuring of they were all leaving that it was rather important.  
  
- - - - DamselX- If it helps you any every time I use it I have to look it up. I'm not a scientist. I'm a writer, a clothes designer, and a home maker. ( I have no children and no husband. I just have to work on cleaning my house. I do a terrible job at keeping it clean.) You have to be when you work all the time and come home and have a million other projects.  
  
Lord Dreadnault- That better be a promise. If not then you'll receive lots of friendly emails from me, especially when I start on the Courier of Marseilles. I'm still waiting to see what happens next!  
  
Fairytale princess- Welcome to my world of creation. You can enjoy them all you want. I hope you like what I do with this chapter. I'm not sure if it will be the last chapter or if it will be the next one.  
  
Catherine Wells 2371- Hey! Thanks for the compliment. I hope you like the chapter. I have another story forming in my head that I haven't started on yet. I have been just a little busy here lately. I try not to get this busy but it seems I do a lousy job of that as well. \  
  
Lady Emily- I guess we'll all find out where this chapter is going.  
  
Babmidnight- Well I guess we'll find out where it all started. Maybe it didn't start at either place?  
  
Katie- I'm glad you liked the good cop bad cop thing. I actually think that I intended to do othat to a certain extent and partially didn't. I think that line is cliché. It just seemed an appropriate line at the time.  
  
Okay I think that I've babbled enough. I'm doing horrible at keeping up with updating my stories so forgive. I will have to remind you that I'm not a chemist and that even I have to look up that name. I'm too lazy to do it right now.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them! Simon and Schuster and Stratmeyer Syndicate do!  
  
Chapter 14  
  
"Where it all began?" Nancy went over all of the mental notes that she had.  
  
"It all began at Chet's house." Frank said.  
  
"Does he still live with his parents?"  
  
"No he bought his own house a couple of years ago."  
  
"I hope that it's not populated." Nancy muttered undr her breath.  
  
"It's a little quieter than it was at his parents house." Frank answered.  
  
Nancy looked in her rearview mirror. "George and Joe are with us. I don't think that Ned is too far behind."  
  
"Ned in case you get lost we're headed toward Chet's house. I'm going to put you on speaker phone so that you can talk to Frank." Nancy plugged the phone into the car radio.  
  
Nancy laid her head on the head rest as the two men talk. The tension between them was still there and very tangible. It didn't seem that it would ever go away. There were times that she wanted to walk out, slam the door and let them duke their differences. That wouldn't happen anytime soon. They had to finish this one way or another. If they didn't too many people would get hurt-or killed.  
  
"Nancy!" Frank exclaimed her name. Evidently it wasn't the first time that he had called her name.  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't listening." Nancy unhooked the phone.  
  
"I said that we're going to be there in five minutes by car. We're going to pull over so that we can plan." Joe and George followed suit.  
  
Ned arrived a few minutes after they did. "What did you do break the speed limit?" Joe grinned.  
  
"I did."  
  
"I bet that the cops had the time of their life chasing you.  
  
"Sorry Joe I wasn't being chased by anyone." Ned squinted as the sun glared in his eyes.  
  
"Alright that's enough guys!" Nancy took command. "We need to work on this plan. Joe and Frank know more about Chet's layout." With that she handed everything to them.  
  
They drew the layout of the house. "There are three entrances to the house. There is one in the front to a living room. There is one at the side of the house and it leads to his lab. The last one is on the back. It's a glass sliding door that he keeps locked. It leads to the dining room/ den...." A few minutes later the plan was drawn.  
  
-Ned-  
  
'Why did I have to get stuck with Frank? Why couldn't I have been partnered with Nancy?'  
  
"Hey, earth to Ned." Frank had stopped and waved his hand in front of the pother man.  
  
"Why couldn't I have been partnered with her?" He didn't realize that he had spoken aloud. Ned really muttered the question where if Frank hadn't been listening he wouldn't have heard it. Ned's eyes flashed all the anger that he had been feeling toward himself and all of the jealousy toward Frank.  
  
"Why so you can kiss her again and piss her off more?" Frank's eyes held sorrow, pity and a lot of anger.  
  
"Well why not?! She was originally mine!"  
  
"She stopped being yours when you pushed her away." Frank hissed.  
  
"Oh and she's yours now?"  
  
"No she isn't. She belongs to no one."  
  
"You wouldn't think that the way you two have kissing during this case!" Ned played all of the scenes that he had seen them kissing. He had seen them kiss at Bess's wedding reception. He thought that they had been having way too much fun with that cake.  
  
His mind went to when he had brought Frank home from the hospital. Frank was being his usually obstinate self. Nancy had been a lot more seductive than he had ever seen. In fact, she had never gotten that way with him.  
  
He remembered her yelling at him with steam almost coming out of her ears. Frank was the next one to get. He had managed to get her on the floor and kissed when she was fighting mad. Ned could almost see her again writhing underneath him before she began to respond to that kiss.  
  
Ned hit a tree that was just past Frank. Frank barely had tome to step aside.  
  
"That doesn't make her mine Ned!" Frank paused. "We don't even know what is going on between us."  
  
"Don't know!" Ned wasn't keeping his voice down. "Are so blindly in love with each other that you don't see it?"  
  
"What do you mean Ned?" Frank was surprised.  
  
"I see it. I see it when you look at her and she doesn't know that you're watching. Let's add the face that you have as much as admitted it." Ned's voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "I see it when she looks at you. I see the fear she hides for being in love again. She never looked at me like that. She's never kissed me the way she has kissed you. Ned's voice as well as his eyes held a certain sadness and loss that was acutely felt every time that he saw them together. "All because I was tired of coming in second." He murmured before their watches beep.  
  
"Are you two in position?" It was Nancy.  
  
Frank looked around them. "Give us three minutes. WE got a little lost."  
  
"Lost? Huh?"  
  
"I don't think that she would like it very much if she knew that we were lost in conversation, especially when we are supposed to be working." Frank answered. He had automatically gone back to business at hand.  
  
"You better not hurt her." Ned whispered.  
  
"I won't." Frnak grineed before he told Nancy that they were in place.  
  
-George and Joe-  
  
Everything started just as Frank told them that they were set. "Nan there are two at he glass sliding door and at the corners of the back of the house. There are probably more at the front."  
  
"Alright, Joe. Don't move in I'm going to see if I can create a distraction."  
  
-Nancy-  
  
Nancy looked down at her clothes seeing all of the dirt smudges on her. "Perfect." She took off her sweater and set it in a tree to reveal a green halter top. Her hair was shaken loose from her ponytail and she used her bleeding leg as an excuse. It wasn't really bleeding anymore. It had stopped a little while ago but it still hurt.  
  
She walked out of the trees over doing the limp. "Hey boys I was wondering if you could help me out a little bit." She gave them a pained toss of her hair and batted her eyes at them almost effortlessly. They were immediately there by her side helping her to sit down imploring her to tell them what happened.  
  
She used the excuse that her car had run out of gas some time ago and that she had been walking around in circles for hours in the woods. The men were then calling for their fellow guards to help them out. There was only one that growled at her suspiciously but she gave him a weak smile.  
  
They helped her back up while one of them pulled the car in front so that they could be the ever so helpful gentleman that they were to put gas in he car. Another produced a candy bar which she thanked him. She didn't have to pretend to be hungry. She hadn't eaten since breakfast.  
  
"Go guard the lab door. We don't ant the boss to get mad because we're all fawning over this...." He looked her up and down, "...this treat. I think I'll start first."  
  
That was his first and last mistake that he would make for a long time. When he tried to touch her shoulder to push her hair away she tossed him over her shoulder. She took on the rest of the guys while everyone else was supposed to do their job.  
  
-Frank and Ned-  
  
"Guys she has created quite a distraction. I think that it is safe for you to enter the house." The two men grinned as the strawberry blond woman seemed to be enjoying herself a little too much.  
  
"So you want to help her or shall I?" Frank wondered out loud.  
  
They flipped for it. Ned got heads giving him the chance to help her for once. "Okay have fun." Frank stated.  
  
-George and Joe-  
  
"Okay we're in." Joe whispered.  
  
-Frank-  
  
Frank waited at the lab door. The guy would be wondering why his men weren't answering in a minute.  
  
- - - -  
  
Okay guys tell me if it's horrible. It's obviously not ending this chapter. I'm tired. It's one in the morning and my cat wants to play too. Anyways you know the drill. Read and review. I'll be working on the next chapter tomorrow. I just won't put it up yet. 


	15. Anything Resolved?

"Guys she has created quite a distraction. I think that it is safe for you to enter the house." The two men grinned as the strawberry blond woman seemed to be enjoying herself a little too much.  
  
"So you want to help her or shall I?" Frank wondered out loud.  
  
They flipped for it. Ned got heads giving him the chance to help her for once. "Okay have fun." Frank stated.  
  
-George and Joe-  
  
"Okay we're in." Joe whispered.  
  
Katie- You're right. She likes to make distractions. I hope you like the chapter.  
  
Evil6- How are you? I thought that it was kind of funny. It should be interesting where all of this will lead.  
  
Running in Circles- It's been a while. I'm glad you liked the chapter.  
  
Catherine wells 2371- They do need to grow up but they are men. Men don't grow up. They are just great big children. Frank and Nancy will get together eventually. I promise that it will happen soon.  
  
Lord Dreadnault- Well I hope I updated soon enough.  
  
Lady Emily- Too much fun. I'm glad you liked the chapter.  
  
Chapter 15  
  
"If you don't get these chemicals combined I'm going to kill your friends off one by one. I'll start with the unconscious one." He pointed his gun carelessly at Bess.  
  
"You'd better not hurt even one hair on any of their heads." Chet found he couldn't stand because there was a heavy pressure placed on his shoulder.  
  
Avery lay whimpering on her daddy's shoulder. He kept rubbing her back telling her that everything would be alright. Donald, Bess's husband, was paler than his wife at the moment if that was even possible.  
  
"Shut that kid up!" The man yelled.  
  
"If you stop yelling and waving that gun around then that would help." Michael, George's husband, informed the man.  
  
"Who are you to tell me what how to act?"  
  
"I'm her father."  
  
"Well, Dad, if she doesn't get quiet I'm going to kill her right in front of you." He spoke into the headpiece only to find that here was no answer. "Smiley, see what is going on. Nelson look in the house and see if there is anyone that shouldn't be around here." He ordered his men pointing the gun in the direction that he wanted them each to go like they didn't know how to obey orders.  
  
Smiley went to the side of the house to find that there was no one there. He then heard the fight going on in the front.  
  
-In the house-  
  
Joe, George and Frank went through the house quietly. "The entrance to the door is to the right in the left hall. We'll...."  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the famous Hardy's? There seems to be two of you missing. Where could they be?" He said behind them. While he was talking they slowly turned around.  
  
"You seem to have found a new partner and she's very pretty." He appraised her trim figure and shoulder length black hair.  
  
George tensed at his appraisal of her. "Don't worry I won't do anything to you. Ah.... Get back by your friends Frank. You're not going to pull anything. I have your friends in the other room. You wouldn't want them to get hurt now would you?" He waved the gun toward the door that led to the lab.  
  
When George opened the door she saw Avery's eyes lift up from Michael's shoulder. 'Avery please stay there baby.' George begged in her mind.  
  
"Mama! Mama!" The little girl jumped down form her daddy's arms and ran as fast as her little feet would toddle.  
  
"Hey sweetie. How are you doing?" George cooed to her daughter.  
  
"Ah so the little missy's mother has decided to show up. Now what say you about letting that little girl come to me?" The man held a deadly gleam in his eye.  
  
"You even consider touching her you will wish you hadn't." George countered.  
  
"Just checking." The man smirked.  
  
"You ...."  
  
"Now be nice." A woman said behind her. "We wouldn't want the child to pick up any bad habits now would we?"  
  
"You......"  
  
"You seem to be not able to finish one single thought. Now why don't you three sit over there with the others." The woman motioned her gun to where the other three sat.  
  
-Chet-  
  
Chet looked up from his work surprised at hearing the female voice. "Barbara! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Sit down or I'll shoot her."  
  
She held an unfamiliar gleam in her eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know my gullible scientist?" She placed a kiss on her lips. "We had fun while it lasted but you bore me." She whispered in his ear. His eyes went wide at that.  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I said that we're over. You might as well know that now." She smirked at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You were the easiest target in the whole world."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You were the easiest person to weasel secrets out of. Your chemistry solutions were the least of what you had told me about." She taunted.  
  
Chet paled at the late nights that they had stayed up talking. "You mean your parents calling acting worried isn't really what was going on?"  
  
"No it was a man that could take care of my every need." She answered coldly.  
  
"I'm sorry it wasn't enough." He held the look of a man that had been jilted.  
  
"Get back to work! We have a deadline to meet you know."  
  
-Nancy and Ned-  
  
Nancy did a roundhouse kick to the man that was in front of her. "Ned what are you doing over here?" Nancy didn't look at him as someone came up behind her. She was hit in the back with something knocking her down before she could do anything about it.  
  
Ned was off to her left fighting a couple of other men. They seemed to be ganging up on him.  
  
Nancy's voice taunted him in the back of his mind. "You are a second and this is all you can do?" He took a look at his surroundings. There was a tree branch three foot above him and two men coming at him at the same time. He jumped up barely grabbing the branch as they collided with each other. They fell to the ground cold. Nancy was still on the ground and hadn't moved.  
  
"Nancy! Nancy!" He shook her. She wasn't responding. 'Oh Nancy not now!' Her leg had started to bleed again. It was running down the side of her pants. He tore off a sleeve of his shirt and tried to cut off the flow of blood. "Come on Nancy! You can not do this now! We need you for this to work."  
  
Nancy was coming around after a few seconds of him yelling at her. "Ned?" She rubbed her fingers on her temples.  
  
"Yeah it's me. Come on. You have to hang on for a few minutes longer." He helped her up.  
  
"Let me go. I can do this." She pushed him away as soon as she was on her feet.  
  
Ned went around the corner while Nancy stayed out of sight. "Hey." He tapped the man's shoulder.  
  
"What the..." He didn't finish his statement before Ned knocked him out.  
  
Nancy came around the corner while he waited before he opened the door. "Freeze FBI!" Nancy called out.  
  
Ned entered the room. "I wouldn't do anything!" He held a piece ice over Avery. The man's back was turned on the group behind while he held a wide eyed Avery in his arm. Joe made a move that only Nancy and Frank caught.  
  
"Let the baby go." Avery turned at the sound of Nancy's voice.  
  
I wouldn't hurt one hair on her head." The man chuckled cynically.  
  
Ned shuttered at that last one. He knew what the man would hurt. Ned caught Joe doing something out of the corner of his eye. He glanced at Nancy who looked like she was thinking. He also knew that she nor Frank would be able to go on much longer.  
  
Avery managed to squirm out of the man's arms and get away from him before he could grab her. Nancy grinned, "Are you having trouble keeping up with an 18 month old?"  
  
"A Na, Ho me?" She requested as only a baby could. Nancy reached the upheld hands and pulled her up.  
  
"Give her back to me." He ordered her.  
  
"No. You will not be hurting my niece." Nancy held her even tighter as her eyes grew cold.  
  
"Your niece huh?"  
  
"Well maybe I will hurt her mother then."  
  
He pulled George over to him holding her in a neck hold. "You won't be hurting her or anyone else on this room." Nancy had caught the tension and the gleam in George's eyes.  
  
He hadn't noticed that each of them had moved slightly to other positions while Nancy and Avery kept them distracted. Barbara came back in from the kitchen. "What's going on?" She looked at the positioning of everyone noting that everything was a little different.  
  
At that very moment George bit the man's arm and stomped his foot at the same time while Joe knocked the gun out of his hand. "Now!" He signaled.  
  
Ned pushed Nancy out of the room with Avery while Michael pushed Frank out of the room. Frank landed on something soft that didn't feel like grass when he was pushed outside. Nancy groaned under him and Avery was starting to whimper. "Sorry Nan." He apologized having to push himself up.  
  
"Can we get back in?" She adjusted Avery on her hip.  
  
"No they locked the door on us."  
  
"Out of all the things that I expected it wasn't that." Nancy sat down gingerly.  
  
"Where are all the guys that you and Ned nailed earlier?"  
  
"I don't know. One of them knocked me out. Ned finished them off."  
  
"You have your lock pick set?" He asked.  
  
"Just a sec." She put Avery on the ground so that she could dig through her pockets. "Here." She placed the one that they would need in his hand.  
  
"Stay behind me with Avery. We don't want anything to happen to her."  
  
Nancy rolled her eyes at him. "I know that. Why do you think that they pushed me out the door?"  
  
He grinned because you're injured."  
  
"Well so are you." She retorted before she obediently went behind him.  
  
"Uh Dank?" The little girl held tightly to Nancy while Frank did his job.  
  
"Just a minute princess." He promised her opening the door. He stepped out of the way just in time to keep from getting hit by a flying body. "Ouch I wonder who sent that kick. He checked the pulse of the woman apparently named Barbara.  
  
Inside the fight was settling down. "I think we missed all of the action Frank." Nancy looked in the door.  
  
"Looks like we did. She's out cold." He handcuffed her while Nancy called the emergency care.  
  
-In the lab-  
  
Ned pushed Nancy out the door before turning around to find that two more people had joined the group. "Don't you guys ever go away? Chet you don't worry about us. Just get those chemicals separated."  
  
"Easy for you to say." He muttered looking at the work table. Over half of them had been put together already.  
  
Ned was fighting the man that was nearest Chet. He assumed that they were going to try to get to what Chet was working on so that they could at least get what he had finished. He threw a right punch when he felt someone's back against his. George did a flip using his back and shoulders as leverage. In the process of doing that though she knocked out the guy that was fighting him. "Behind you." She mouthed before she turned around to get to Bess before they thought of it.  
  
"I think it's too late." Barbara said to George.  
  
"I don't think so." Bess was starting to stir.  
  
"I do." She held her gun to George.  
  
George held off until the last second when the woman put the gun right on her temple. In one swift move to fast for the woman to see she turned around lifting her arm up where the gun was held. Barbara gaped at her empty hand for a mere second before she went into fighting position. "You really want to play this the hard way."  
  
"That's what you think." George retorted.  
  
The woman went to kick her but was dodged by George. George did a left hook which hit its target. She didn't seem to notice the blood that was dripping from her nose though. Barbara sent a kick to her. The kick made contact and George doubled over. Barbara took advantage of the position and fisted her back down to the floor.  
  
George felt the fist on her back. She flinched at the impact that sent her to the floor but she didn't lose that easily. If this woman wanted to fight dirty then George could too. "That was too easy." George could hear the smirk in the woman's voice.  
  
George gave a smirk of her won that the woman didn't see. Her arm shot out making contact with the woman's knee. "What the...." She heard before she saw George's glistening eyes. George pushed herself up.  
  
"I'm not that easy." She sent the woman a flying kick that sent the woman to the door.  
  
-Ned-  
  
George warned about the guy that was behind him. It was the guy that had been the one to kidnap everyone. He had obviously lost his gun sometime during the fight. "Sorry you're not allowed to get through." He told the man before he dodged a punch to his nose. There was a punch sent to the man's rock hard stomach. Ned shook his hand.  
  
"What surprised?"  
  
Just slightly." Ned answered.  
  
Ned dodged the next hit however not enough so to avoid the strong hands going around his throat. Ned was turning blue in the face all the while trying to fight back. He wasn't very effective. Chet stood up behind the man and poured the chemicals over the mans head. He let go of Ned out of surprise as he felt the fluid falling on his hair. "What did you do to me?"  
  
"Exactly what you were going to do to the entire world." Chet answered. Chet managed to step out of the man's arm length before he tried to punch him.  
  
"No you don't." Ned punched the man's stomach.  
  
"Don't touch where the liquid was poured. It's still there. His system won't last long with it running through his veins. He looked at the man who was now the owner of a very bald head.  
  
Ned nodded; signifying that he heard. Chet went back to do the last few as quickly as he could.  
  
-Joe-  
  
Joe was fighting off another man hoping that the two men with him could fight. His body was getting tired and his brow was breaking out in sweat. Of course the man could see this so he upped the fight just a little bit. Joe dodged the next kick by ducking down and swinging his leg around knocking the guy down on his butt. The guy didn't have time to get up before Joe put his foot on the man's neck. "I wouldn't do t hat if I were you." When the man did try to get Joe pressed his foot harder. "Turn over and put your hands behind your back. That's right. Now cross those legs." Joe looked over to signal for Michael to come and help him.  
  
"My wife can fight better than some of these guys." Michael commented as he cuffed the man's legs first.  
  
"You don't do too badly for a photographer yourself."  
  
"I wasn't always a photographer." He answered before he glanced at his wife trying to keep Bess down.  
  
"I guess Bess has a lot of explaining to do."  
  
"More than she is aware of right now." Joe answered.  
  
"Micheal! Can you help really quick?" Donald's voice interrupted. "Oh never mind." He called. Joe and Michael turned around to find Nancy had knocked the guy down.  
  
"Where's Avery?" George asked from across the room.  
  
"She's with me." Frank answered.  
  
"Good." The mother and father said simultaneously.  
  
-Outside-  
  
The cops had shown up to find that all of the men had been bagged and gagged. "I need you all to come down to the station to make a statement." Nancy glared at him before she turned to Frank and sighed.  
  
Joe looked at them worried. "Chief they shouldn't be going into the station right now. They both should be going back to the hospital."  
  
"NO!" They shouted at the same time.  
  
The chief and the officer that had tried to help Nancy earlier chuckled at the two. "Yes you will. That's an order." Nancy glared at the chief again. "Don't look at me like that little girl. Oh and by the way you did a good job Detective Drew." The man looked at the other officer. "Make sure they get to the hospital. We'll be placing a guard on the door to keep them from getting out before the doctor says they are allowed to. We can take statements over there."  
  
"A Na. Unca Dank." The man looked surprised at the little girl that came to them with open arms.  
  
"Your niece."  
  
-Joe and Bess-  
  
Joe had to push his way to Bess to talk to her. "You have a lot of explaining to do. It seems that you weren't completely honest with me about your cases." Bess went pale.  
  
Donald went looking from Joe to Bess. "What's going on?"  
  
- - - - It seems that I've left room for two or three stories in here. At the moment though I have a hundred things to do and no time to do them all. Let me finish at least one of the other stories tats I have going on here before I get another one going. I know you guys might not like that but I have to do it. I hope you liked the story and thank you for reading it! 


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